# Fractal



## cbaum86 (20 Apr 2020)

My AS900 was a Christmas present and has been sat waiting for me to get around to building a stand and until I knew I had the budget to hit it in one fell swoop. Well, finally took the plunge and figured I'd use the extended hours of being at home to get myself into gear so I could while away those extra hours with something to both keep occupied with the initial maintenance and something to spend my evening gazing into.

*Setup*
*Tank: *Aquascaper 900
*Filter (and Heater):* Oase Biomaster 600 Thermo
*CO2:* Co2 Art reg on FE, Sera Flore 500 reactor with Hydor Universal Pump 
*Lighting:* Chihiros Vivid V1
*Substrate:* Tropica Soil & Powder with a base of crushed lava rock. Unipac Tana Sand
*Ferts: *TNC Complete

I really wanted to do a rock heavy scape. In the past I've tended to have wood as the feature element with supporting rocks as the kinda 'man behind the scenes' as it were, giving structure but never in the limelight. I has some ideas of what I wanted to achieve from a trip to Aquarium Gardens a few months ago when I played around in the dry scape area and brought back a fair amount of Seiryu. I'd roughed out 3 or 4 layouts to serve as a basis.

Let the fun begin...




 

I knew from how I'd banked the sand in the dry scape area I was either going to take out a 2nd mortgage for soil or use something cheap as a filler material so I bought 20kg of crushed lava rock. I put most of it into some media bags I had laying around as I thought they'd be easier to remove in the future, then filled the gaps with some loose. I placed a bag of Seachem Flourish Tabs in and around the lava rock just as a catch all, no idea if it was needed or not but I'd rather it be there than not.



 

 

I used 2 bags of Tropica Soil and a further bag and a bit of Soil Powder on top which seems to have given enough planting depth throughout.

Time to start playing with the hardscape. I had the general layout up fairly quickly but I knew over the next couple of weeks whilst I tweaked and amended my plant list I would invariably also make changes to the hardscape.

From the first 'final' layout I wasn't quite happy with the right hand side, it all looked a little disjointed and sat too far back compared to the left.



 

So the tweaking began. The idea was to elevate and strengthen the hardscape in the foreground on the right but I still wasn't sure. I also hadn't decided whether I wanted a sand path in the middle or if I was going to plant everything. I liked the aesthetics of the sand but was it just going to annoy me with keeping it soil free.



 

I finally decided to order the plants so had to get the final hardscape in place. I'm happy with the outcome. Moved the right hand main stone forwards to integrate it with the foreground hardscape more and went with the sand path. If it gets on my nerves too much I'll just syphon it out and plant up the middle but I figure you have to give these things a try.



 

And here is the view from sat on the sofa. The light is only temporarily there as it's still running my existing tank so when the plants get here that will be shut down and I'll move it over properly.


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## Jayefc1 (20 Apr 2020)

Looks really good mate I like the path way breaks up the rocks and gives a sence of depth also helps to draw your eye to the back of the scape 
What's the plant list?


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## PARAGUAY (20 Apr 2020)

Really impressive loving the use of rok


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## Tucker90 (20 Apr 2020)

Amazing hard scape mate! Can’t fault it! Love the details on the oath as well! Looking forward to this one! 


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## kilnakorr (20 Apr 2020)

Nice! Isn't there a hardscape contest going on... 
My only tiny little PERSONAL opinion is the small rocks creating the pathway are very different from the 'mountains'. I would prefer similar type rocks.


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## jaypeecee (20 Apr 2020)

Hi @cbaum86

I know very little about aquascaping. May I ask why you chose the title 'Fractal' for your thread? Is this a recognized layout in the world of 'scaping? I ask because I used to play around with fractal pattern generators for PCs when they emerged on the scene about 30 years ago.

JPC


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## cbaum86 (20 Apr 2020)

Jayefc1 said:


> Looks really good mate I like the path way breaks up the rocks and gives a sence of depth also helps to draw your eye to the back of the scape


Thanks, we shall see how long it lasts with the aforementioned cleaning. I wanted a scape I could really be involved with (hence a lot of the plant choice) so hopefully it will remain.



Jayefc1 said:


> What's the plant list?



Rotala Vietnam H'ra
Rotala sp. 'Yao Yai'
Rotala Rotundifolia
Rotala Green
Gratiola viscidula
Ranunculus inundatus
Hydrocotyle verticillata
Ludwigia sp. mini super red
Rotala Bonsai
Lilaeopsis Novae-zelandiae
Eleocharis mini
Staurogyne Repens
Cryptocoryne parva
Marsilea Crenata
Micranthemum Monte Carlo
Anubias Nana Bonsai
Bucephalandra Caterina


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## cbaum86 (20 Apr 2020)

kilnakorr said:


> Nice! Isn't there a hardscape contest going on...
> My only tiny little PERSONAL opinion is the small rocks creating the pathway are very different from the 'mountains'. I would prefer similar type rocks.



Thanks, you may well be right. I couldn't face buying something for 2 handfuls of 'pebbles' so I used some from a bag of leftover gravel I had from gardening.
My aim was to have something that had both the colours of the sand and the rock to help transition but I'm not set on it.

I have a piece of the Seiryu I'm tempted to smash up to create some small shards but if that looks crap I've just lost a nice rock.
I'll see how they look with some plants dotted amongst them, not like they're fixed down so easy to chop and change.


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## Steve Buce (20 Apr 2020)

Stunning looking scape and the tank was a Christmas present all I get is socks


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## cbaum86 (20 Apr 2020)

jaypeecee said:


> I know very little about aquascaping. May I ask why you chose the title 'Fractal' for your thread? Is this a recognized layout in the world of 'scaping? I ask because I used to play around with fractal pattern generators for PCs when they emerged on the scene about 30 years ago.



I can't claim to know a great deal about aquascaping either and I don't think the term refers to anything; certainly nothing I've come across before. It was just something I had in the back of my head when I was looking at it and thought the sound of the word fit the look of the scape. I thought as an overall scape there is an almost random or chaotic appearance but with some kind of rhythm coming from the shape of each individual rock due to similar characteristic of basic shape - triangular/pyramid esque. I have no idea if it strictly fits (as I've never done anything with fractal patterns or the like, but it works in my head.


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## Jayefc1 (20 Apr 2020)

cbaum86 said:


> Thanks, we shall see how long it lasts with the aforementioned cleaning. I wanted a scape I could really be involved with (hence a lot of the plant choice) so hopefully it will remain.


I find pathways dont stay perfect but show me a path in nature that is perfect as long as you dont get to much soil it's not a issue and it's easy to replace a little sand now and again

That is a awesome plant list like the feel of them.already


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## cosmin_ruz (20 Apr 2020)

Nice scape! Good luck!


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## Sammy Islam (20 Apr 2020)

Wow this looks amazing! Love a good rock scape - very dramatic!  looking forward to following along!


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## Deano3 (20 Apr 2020)

The hardscape looks great and wow thats a great Christmas present, and as you say a perfect opportunity to get on with it. Looking forward to this one looking very promising,  keep us posted mate.

Thanks Dean 

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## Ady34 (21 Apr 2020)

Incredible scape!
Incredible cabinet!
Incredible background!
I’m sure I’ve commented on this stand elsewhere but it really is unique and cool, love the light stand too 
The hardscape you have created is just awesome. Really looking forward to following this build.
Oh, and as mentioned by kilnakorr you should look at the scape event in the events section


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## CooKieS (21 Apr 2020)

very nice rock arrangement.

The only thing I would change are the little pebbles on the path. You could try to crush some seiryu stones and add some details with it instead.

following with interest.


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## cbaum86 (21 Apr 2020)

Ady34 said:


> Incredible scape!
> Incredible cabinet!
> Incredible background!
> I’m sure I’ve commented on this stand elsewhere but it really is unique and cool, love the light stand too
> The hardscape you have created is just awesome. Really looking forward to following this build.



Cheers, always means a lot when someone you respect on the forum makes such kind comments. Always keep an eye out for your comments, particularly on people's hardscape.
I had to make the cabinet to fit with the background - and save some money to be spent on plants of course. Yorkshire tight blahblahblahblah masking as creativity


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## cbaum86 (21 Apr 2020)

CooKieS said:


> very nice rock arrangement.
> 
> The only thing I would change are the little pebbles on the path. You could try to crush some seiryu stones and add some details with it instead.
> 
> following with interest.




Now that's 2 people that have said it I guess this will be my afternoon.


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## Fiske (21 Apr 2020)

cbaum86 said:


> Now that's 2 people that have said it I guess this will be my afternoon.
> View attachment 133764


Don't forget to don your safety glasses!


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## Jayefc1 (21 Apr 2020)

Just a lil tip put it in a plastic bag and wrap it with a tea towel so you dont lose any of the real little bits flying off there the bits that make the difference I find


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## dw1305 (21 Apr 2020)

Hi all, 





Ady34 said:


> Incredible cabinet!


I was admiring that earlier.

cheers Darrel


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## Paul27 (21 Apr 2020)

Looks great. That cabinet is stunning. The stand next to it looks interesting too.


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## Tucker90 (22 Apr 2020)

Is the cabinet the copper one from EA? 


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## cbaum86 (22 Apr 2020)

Tucker90 said:


> Is the cabinet the copper one from EA?



No it's a DIY one.
I had 'decorated' the living room with rusted steel sheets on the wall for my every so on-trend shabby chic industrial look  and I wanted the cabinet to match. I thought about the EA raw concrete or copper but I didn't want to pay £300 for them to be kinda close but not quite right. So I made up a plywood cabinet and then ordered some more steel cut to size and set about giving it the same rust treatment as the panels on the wall.

It's not got quite the same finish but close enough.


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## Andrew T (23 Apr 2020)

Just awesome!
Still not 100% perfect.
I would toss the TV and move the tank in the middle with the light hung from the ceiling haha
I really like the look of that metal


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## cbaum86 (1 May 2020)

Well I finally managed to get planted a couple of days ago. Sadly, I had to get a couple from another supplier as it was the only place that had stock. Usually they're great but i think because it was only a few pots they just sent it through Royal Mail first class and they took 11 days after dispatch to turn up. Obviously they were not in great condition and the stems had melted just above the rock wool and were very limp. I just cut them a bit higher and shoved them in so I assume they'll be fine.

I can't decide whether to order some more stems to fill out the back or just leave it as it's 4 types of rotala and I should be able to trim and replant fairly vigorously. As long as I stay on top of the initial weeks maintenance I think there should be enough plant mass to not cause too many issues. Anyway, crappy photo as I'd just finished planting. Oh and I think it was the right choice to smash up some seiryu to edge the pathway, it's a little darker on the inside than the large pieces but definitely an upgrade from the gravel/pebble look.



 

Sadly, I do have a fairly major issue. The filter is leaking.
I bought the Oase 600 Thermo second hand and I figured there might be issues - especially when it turned up with a full spare set of brand new o-rings. When it first arrived I set it up and just let it run cycling a tub of water for 2 days and there were no issues so I figured it was all gravy.
About a month later in the present day I put it on the tank and it ran sweet for a day. Came down the next morning and the cabinet had a very significant puddle so in a storage tub the filter went. It wasn't streaming water, just a constant dribble, looking to originate from under the clasps.
I decided to replace the main o-ring with the new one but that doesn't seem to have resolved things so the filter has now been running for 3 days in the tub. It's only filling about a cm a day but I need to work out where the problem is as obviously this cannot be a long term solution - any suggestions of what to try are welcome.



 

I'll update in a few days with a better photo of the planting once I'm not doing daily water changes and the tank doesn't look like it's full of lemonade.


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## Sammy Islam (1 May 2020)

Ah no that's a shame, not what you need after the stress of getting it all set up and planted!

The only time i've had a leak from my oase filter is when the power cord wasn't in the correct position.

I would take it apart and lubricate the o-rings(s) a lot and see if you can get a setter seal.


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## Djoko Sauza (1 May 2020)

My 250 had a leak from the gasket for a while. Replacing the o-ring didn't help either.

After giving it a thorough clean and applying vaseline on the o-rings the leak stopped.

I have a feeling it was the small o-rings where the inflow and outlfow attach. (I think water was leaking there and filling the grouphead which would then leak over the gasket)

Good luck!

Scape looks great by the way, good luck with algae!


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## cbaum86 (1 May 2020)

Sammy Islam said:


> I would take it apart and lubricate the o-rings(s) a lot and see if you can get a setter seal.





Diogo Sousa said:


> After giving it a thorough clean and applying vaseline on the o-rings the leak stopped.
> 
> I have a feeling it was the small o-rings where the inflow and outlfow attach. (I think water was leaking there and filling the grouphead which would then leak over the gasket)



Thanks guys. I bought some silicone grease so I'll dismantle and have a look at the other o-rings/connections around the inlet/outlet, heater and the prefilter and see if they could be the culprit.


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## cbaum86 (13 May 2020)

*2 Week Update*

Well it's been 2 weeks since it was planted up and not a great deal to report other than the expected.
Plants are growing quite nicely, most seem to have adapted to submersed forms.
Rotalas and Ludwigia had their first trim and replant last night.
The Crypt Parva is looking the least healthy with melt but that was to be expected.

I've been changing 50% of the water every 2 days so far and think I'll go to twice weekly now.
Started adding TNC Complete 3ml a day from 1 week in so I'll keep going with that. Some of the Rotundafolia is looking a little pale, not sure if that's the new leaves in between the green/pink stage or I need to up the dosage slightly.

Bits of brown diatoms starting to appear all over the hardscape but brushed off easily with a toothbrush during water change.

I stupidly decided that as things were looking pretty good I'd up the lights from 50% to 70%, see if I could speed up the Marsilea growth but after 3 days it went back down to 50% after seeing some green start to appear on the rocks and sand. I'll leave it till week 4 and step it up in 5 or 10%'s - 🐢 vs 🐇 and all that!

I also worked out the problem with the Biomaster. Turns out whenever I move the lever to unlock the taps a load of water flows into the head unit and then bypasses the main gasket and leaks out the side. I haven't got a fix for it yet as I've been a little busy, hoping it might just be the tap end and not the head but I'm loathed to start looking in depth until I know I've got enough time to sort whatever crops up.

Anyway, enough dribble.


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## alto (13 May 2020)

cbaum86 said:


> Bits of brown diatoms starting to appear all over the hardscape


I’d do more water changes rather than fewer as algae makes it’s appearance  known 

Marsilea seems to beat to its own drum, I’ve had it melt away, grow slow/steady, attempt a take over 

Fantastic journal so far!

I’d contact Oase with filter issue, they may have some suggestions or recognize the model from serial number if it’s been serviced etc


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## cbaum86 (27 May 2020)

*Week 4 Update*

Things are ticking along nicely. I'm still doing water changes, about 60%, 2 or 3 times a week depending on my schedule.
The diatoms seems to have more or less gone but I'm getting a nice dusting of green algae on the hardscape. I'm not too worried I think it's just green dust and I've heard recently it's best to leave it to go through it's lifecycle for a few weeks before trying to remove.

Also added in the livestock from the previous tank so I'm sure they'll happily graze on what is there.
I was wanting to get some Clithon Corona but my usual online haunts seem out-of-stock and I'm not sure anywhere locally has them and whether I'd even be able to go purchase in the current climate. A few phone calls may be in order.

The rotala has had a nice hack back, everything else I've left and may do the mid and foreground plants next week.

I altered the RGB ratio of the LEDs, up'd the red and green by 5% to 55% and dropped the blue to 45% to see if I preferred a warmer hue. I'm not sure that I do but I'll give it a week and if not I'll just even them all back out.
I also decided to remove the CO2 reactor. Whilst I did enjoy the mist free tank it reduced the flow of the Biomaster too much and also made a right racket when the co2 went off, presumably leaving some kind of gas pocket and the sound of gurgling water. I put my old inline diffuser on but that seems to be leaking so ordered the inline co2 art atomiser which should be here in a couple of days hopefully. In the meantime going old school in tank.

Anyway, here we are to date pre and post trim. The photos are a little crappy, rushed taking them.









And a few of the livestock:


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## hypnogogia (27 May 2020)

@cbaum86 are those ember terras in the first pic? Gorgeous saturated red.


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## CooKieS (27 May 2020)

Very nice growth! Loving it so far.

Awesome colors from that rgb vivid 1 too.

those amanos are fat!


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## cbaum86 (27 May 2020)

hypnogogia said:


> are those ember terras in the first pic? Gorgeous saturated red.


They are, fairly old now. I think getting on for 3 years I've had most of them. As Cookies says, I think a chunk of it comes down to the colour rendition of the light.



CooKieS said:


> Awesome colors from that rgb vivid 1 too.


It's lovely, I just wish it had the shades like the v2. I might make up a pair when I have time.



CooKieS said:


> those amanos are fat!


The females are absolute beasts. As long as they keep munching and cleaning I won't shame them into weight watchers just yet.


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## Deano3 (27 May 2020)

Stunning growth and great journal

Dean

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## LondonDragon (28 May 2020)

Great progress after 4 weeks, I have placed it on the FB page


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## Ady34 (28 May 2020)

Agree completely with the sentiments of others. Incredible scape and plant growth.


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## cbaum86 (31 May 2020)

I finally got around to removing the old tank and stand and replacing with the chair that was where the current AS900 is. Nice to sit closer to the tank to really take in the details and block out more of the periphery.


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## Ady34 (14 Jun 2020)

cbaum86 said:


> I finally got around to removing the old tank and stand and replacing with the chair that was where the current AS900 is. Nice to sit closer to the tank to really take in the details and block out more of the periphery.
> 
> View attachment 149482


Yep, it’s always nice to sit and enjoy the  tank, and I’d be sat there for long periods. Great scape in a great setting 👌


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## cbaum86 (15 Jun 2020)

*Week 6*

Lights have been upped to 65/65/55 RGB and increased the TNC Complete from 6ml to around 9ml daily.

Not much to report in terms of the scape itself. The Rotala had another trim as it had reached the surface on the right hand side. The left side was a little lacklustre after the hack attack 2 weeks ago. A few days ago I angled the lily pipe outflow slightly more towards that corner rather than directly along the front glass and did notice the stems started to shoot up, maybe was a bit of a dead spot in the flow so less co2. I'll keep an eye on it.

I think next weeks weekend maintenance may include a trim of the midground plants, apart from taking out the dead leaves they've been more or less left to their own devices.



Pre-trim you can see the difference in growth between the left and right sides:





Also added 10 Clithon Corona who have done a great job of cleaning up the main stone and seem to have setup camp there. Hopefully they decide to don their explorer hats and see what delectables are elsewhere in the tank.





I am having a constant battle with what I believe is a filamentous diamtoms  - Synedra, possibly from doing some research. I had this before in another nano scape but that got shutdown after a few weeks so never saw it through. At the moment, twice a week I'm syphoning it all out or at least what I think is all until 10mins later I realise I've missed half of it. I'm using an old Hydor prime 10 filled with filter floss so I can just cycle the water and catch the algae, works very well and means I can take my time rather than only having until the water level drops. I'm hoping that it won't last too much longer 🤞.





I've also been in dialog with Oase about the filter. I commend them on their swift responses although the actual content of the messages was not all that helpful. Ranging from 'our technical team say that's normal' to 'you've put the lid on wrong'. Explaining that leaking is not what I consider normal to showing them a video of me putting the head on I think they've now given up on me as it's been nearly 2 weeks since hearing from them.  I don't blame them, I did buy it 2nd hand. I don't mind too much buying replacement parts, I was just hoping they could point me in the right direction so I wasn't wasting money. I'm thinking I may have to treat myself to a new head unit in the coming weeks.


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## cbaum86 (13 Jan 2021)

So I've realised it has been quite some time since I've updated this journal. Living and working on the scape day-in, day-out I really didn't think much had changed so didn't want to bore with the same update/photo over and over. However, looking back over some photos I realised that actually whilst there isn't a huge change there is definitely a development. I guess this is really what happens with most scapes, they evolve rather than necessarily change.

Anyway, here is a quick summary of the past 6ish months.

*2 July 2020 - Death of the Diatoms*
These were the first photos I took after going to town on filamentous diatoms in the previous post. As you can see something worked - whether it was constant manual removal, increased oxygen by lifting the filter over night and adding a surface skimmer or just plain old time I don't know, nor do I really care.








*3 Aug 2020 - General Update*
Things had really cleaned up at this point. This is the photo when, looking back from today I realised how much the scape had changed and when I really thought I ought to update this journal.





*28 Aug 2020 -  General Update*
Can't believe how spindly the Rotala was back then - suppose all things have to start somewhere.





*18 Sept 2020 - Lighting Change*
I think this is when I really stepped up the lighting a bit, or at least its the first photo I took from making the change. As previously mentioned I'd been running around 65/65/55 RGB or something similar (maybe 5% higher in Aug) but I think things looked a little on the yellow side for me. I decided to ramp up the ratios of red and blue to green. I can't remember the exact values but I think I was more in the region of 80/55/70. I was quite surprised that the greens didn't lose the green but I really think it helped the Rotala, Ludwigia an Buce.





*2 Oct 2020 - Hose Cleaning*
I think this was the first time I'd decided to do a full clean on the hoses. Normally I clean the glassware and occasionally the top half the hose where I disconnect them using the double taps - after all that's the bit I see. Whether it made quite the difference in flow I THINK it did or it was just a placebo it was a practice I was going to keep up and probably should have been doing more regularly anyway. Cleaning half the hoses and the filter but leaving these makes me think of 'a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link' kinda deal.





*1 Nov 2020 - Dry Salts, EI Dosing*
Well I came to my senses and decided to move over to using dry salts to mix my ferts. The rate I was going through TNC was costing an arm and a leg and for no other reason than costs I decided to make the switch. Sure you get the added benefit of tailoring the mix blah blah blah, I'm never going to do that - not any time soon anyway. I used Zeus's calc here on the forum with the comparisons to others EI mixes and away I went. One thing that is maybe a bug bear of mine is how many people (usually on social media, not on UKAPS) I see using the term EI to mean mixing your own ferts with dry chemicals. Unless I'm not understanding something it's a method of dosing which could be achieved with a commercial products, alternatively you could chose a different dosing method using the dry chemicals you've individually purchased. I don't suppose it really matters but I still get a little twinge when I see it.





*8 Nov 2020 - Trim Update*
Spend some time moving a few things around. I've tried to remove most of the rotala bonsai from the area just behind the carpet to behind the larger foreground rocks. For some reason I didn't expect it to be quite as fast growing as it was and it was absolutely taking over so it needed to be moved. It had rooted quite well so it was a bit of a pain trying to get it out of the mix with Hydrocotyle Verticillata and Ranunculus Inundatus. The Hydrocotyle is also a bit of a pain to keep tame, it just spreads runners everywhere constantly, it's probably the plant I trim the most and enjoy doing the least. At least the background Rotala are easy to just chop back.

I also ended up removing the Gratiola Viscidula in the left and right midground. I don't know why but it just wasn't doing well. I replaced it with Myriophyllum Guyana which as you can see in the photo has really taken off as it was planted as a tissue culture about 3 weeks prior to the photo.

I had also been battling with the Monte Carlo and Lilaeopsis Novae-Zelandiae flanking the Marsilea and swamping it. I tried to hold them back with trimming but I believe it's inevitable. They just grow so much faster and trying to pick them out of the Marsilea was, to me, more effort than it was worth. Plus I think it could look better with the MC and Lilaeopsis merged together so I'll let them do either own thing.

I'd  also been battling with quite a lot of BBA on the carpet and rocks - mostly at the opposite end of the filter outlet for a few weeks. I wasn't quite sure what the cause was as co2 is consistent but I thought maybe it was something to do with the flow blasting the inline co2 across the front of the tank and it gathering in that bottom corner and then dissipating more quickly - actually no idea. But I decided to move the filter outlet back towards the middle and pull the skimmer right to the front and see how that goes.





*14 Nov 2020 - Post Trim*
Just a photo of the replanted Rotala tips getting some nice colour after the trim a week earlier. Only just noticed but this photo looks super janky with the software implemented blurring on the Pixel phone, no editing just the tap to set focus.





*4 Dec 2020 - Growing in and hacking down*
Nothing much to report but I've just letting things grow in. I think the right of the first shot highlights what I hate about the Hydrocotyle perfectly, just sending out runners that require constant pruning and actually planting into the soil.
During the trim I decided to pull the remnants of the Ludwigia Mini Super Red from the right mid ground. It looked a little sorry for itself in the shade of the main rock and the Rotala on the right seems to have a more red than that on the left so I think it balances with just the Ludwigia on the left.

I think it was at this point I also decided the path was to be no more. Every week I think I'd spend as much time trying to maintain the path as I would doing general maintenance. I tried it and it wasn't for me - part laziness, part mindset. I think after some of my own comments and the discussions in the thread on the IAPLC scandal I'd realised that whilst this obviously isn't a nature aquarium style I'd maybe gone for a look I wasn't intending. The path was a convoluted gesture for me trying to achieve something for the sake of it. As the Monte Carlo encroaches on the sand I think I prefer the look, rather than some winding path with grandiose mountains more akin to a diorama I was leaning towards a rocky outcrop. Ok it's till somewhat of a caricature but, at least to me, it feels more 'nature'.







*7 Dec 2020 - Algae is Pretty*
So roughly a month on from making the changes to try avoid BBA at the front left of the tank it seems to be working. There is much less new growth and the bits that remain actually look quite pretty to me. Not that that means they're going to stay.

You can also see what is the start of some green hair/thread algae in the photo. This is about to be the bane of my existence for the foreseeable.

I also managed to pick up another 2nd hand Oase Biomaster 600 Thermo as the one I'd originally purchased 2nd hand was still dripping and I couldn't be bothered to work out why - Oase hadn't replied to my last emails so it was time to give up on it. This one I knew who it was coming from, it was only a few months old and a decent price so I felt safe this time. Thank fully it had no problems and runs like a dream. When I can be bothered I guess I'll try recoup some of the money from the first by selling the other as parts or with a slight leak - someone might be up for investigating.





*29 Dec 2020 - General Update*
As you can see the cardboard from Christmas deliveries came on handy. It's a real shame they never produced a shade for the Vivid 1 so until I can be bothered and there is easier access to supplies the cardboard will have to do. It makes such a difference to the viewing pleasure, the room is a nicer place to sit, more cosy and looking at the tank for more than 3mins no longer requires sunglasses.









*5 Jan 2020 - Bane of my Life*
So It's been about a month and the green thread/hair algae is still present but I didn't expect any less. I'd been extremely ad-hoc in trying to combat it with the run up to Christmas and _insert generic excuse here_. I took extreme prejudice over the next 3 days with manual removal and water changes. I was quite surprised just how much I'd removed, and duly upset with how much remained. I guess I just carry on with removal. I had tried a 3 day blackout just before Christmas but that made little to no difference, maybe next I need to do a full week.

I've no idea what caused this, I hadn't done much different. I did notice that I'm down a couple of Otos so presumably their bodies were decomposing in the tank which could have caused a little spike. I did also do a deeper than usual clean of the substrate at the beginning of December blowing quite a lot of much into the water column but I was pretty meticulous with the water change as I knew it could cause a problem.









*11 Jan 2020 - Pretty in Pink*
Despite the algae still remaining the Rotala marches on and after another manual removal of the green slime strands managed to get a fairly clean shot of the stems - at least the upper ones anyway.





So that's everything now up-to-date with the tank coming up to 9 months planted. My misery is there for all to share.
Despite the troubles I am having with this algae I'm still overall happy with the scape. It is due a big trim at the weekend so we'll see how it looks and take stock for the next 3 months to see if I can get it where at want by it's first anniversary.


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## Djoko Sauza (14 Jan 2021)

Loving the progress on this! Specially how it looks taken over by the plants when it is a bit overgrown.
+1 on the shade, I made one myself for the wrgb after bearing through the glare for almost 6 months and it makes a massive difference.
What rotala is that on the last pic? And how did you get it to get so red? Nitrate limitation? Just giving it time?
Best of luck with your battle against algae, good things come to those who wait.


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## dw1305 (14 Jan 2021)

Hi all,


Diogo Sousa said:


> Best of luck with your battle against algae, good things come to those who wait.


I wonder if the green algae is a <"_Spirogyra_ spp">. They are <"famously difficult to control">, due to their <"physiological similarity to higher plants">.


dw1305 said:


> ........... but if you create ideal growing conditions for the plants you want, you also create ideal growing conditions for the ones you don't. All the green plants (those that possess chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b) are identical in terms of their basic photosynthetic physiology. They form a monophyletic clade (<"the Chlorobionta or Viridiplantae">), with a single common ancestor.
> 
> The "green plants" are all the plants we want to grow (mosses, ferns and higher plants), plus some we don't, and we call these ones "green algae".......



cheers Darrel


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## cbaum86 (14 Jan 2021)

Diogo Sousa said:


> Loving the progress on this! Specially how it looks taken over by the plants when it is a bit overgrown.


Thanks. I'm actually really enjoying the slightly overgrown look myself. I'd originally wanted a 'clean' look but it almost feels wrong somehow, so to that end I've recently added some small amounts of mosses. Only had a couple of off cuts but they should start to grow in and then I'll take some more trimmings. I think it should add to the, dare I say 'more natural' aesthetic.


Diogo Sousa said:


> I made one myself for the wrgb


What did you make it from. I was originally going aluminium as I believe that's what the light is but attaching will then need some kind of fixing. If I go with some other metal I'm thinking magnets may be an easier option. Maybe I'm over thinking it.


Diogo Sousa said:


> What rotala is that on the last pic? And how did you get it to get so red? Nitrate limitation? Just giving it time?


I'm honestly not sure. From the original planting I'd be fairly confident in saying Rotudafolia but I'm not sure if it gets that deep a pink. I know it will go towards it, but not sure how far you can take it. I also planted H'ra but in a different area, although when initially trimming I did replant the tops and they could have got mixed up early on. I'm not sure if H'ra would more typically be a deeper red, rather than pink. Where I planted it is actually quite shaded so it still looks a mucky green/rust colour - not well planned in hindsight.
Probably a bit of both for the colour. I used the IFC fert calc to create my micro mix but I've not tested the water so no idea what levels I'm at by the end of the day/week. According to the calculator it should add roughly 20ppm nitrate per week. I also think lighting plays a huge part both in intensity and spectrum.



dw1305 said:


> I wonder if the green algae is a <"_Spirogyra_ spp">. They are <"famously difficult to control">, due to their <"physiological similarity to higher plants">.


I had the same feeling and scoured several sources just in the hope of finding one that didn't make me want to cry. Never the less I'll keep battling on as it's not a scape I want to give up on. Plus the limited (or none) availability of plants at the moment means there is no hope of a fresh start any time soon.


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## dw1305 (14 Jan 2021)

Hi all, 


cbaum86 said:


> I'm actually really enjoying the slightly overgrown look myself. I'd originally wanted a 'clean' look but it almost feels wrong somehow, so to that end I've recently added some small amounts of mosses. Only had a couple of off cuts but they should start to grow in and then I'll take some more trimmings. I think it should add to the, dare I say 'more natural' aesthetic.


Yes, let it grow, it looks great. A larger plant mass might also help to control the green algae. 


cbaum86 said:


> Never the less I'll keep battling on as it's not a scape I want to give up on.


Probably manual removal is your best hope. 

cheers Darrel


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## Djoko Sauza (14 Jan 2021)

cbaum86 said:


> What did you make it from. I was originally going aluminium as I believe that's what the light is but attaching will then need some kind of fixing. If I go with some other metal I'm thinking magnets may be an easier option. Maybe I'm over thinking it.


I made mine from pine wood and some 90° brackets. For sure most could have made something better but for now it's ok.


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## cbaum86 (28 Jan 2021)

Bit of an instagram moment from the weekend but a night spent enjoying the tank before it was getting a hack the following morning. Whilst I am enjoying the fuller look its getting a bit out of hand. The rotala is spreading across the surface, the carpet is far too thick and the hydrocotyle is getting out of control. I'm still going to attempt to curate a more grown in feel but I don't think that needs to be exclusive to keeping the plants trimmed.





Also decided that as a stop gap I'd replace my amazon prime cardboard shade with something slightly more elegant. Roll on the black mount board - really stepping up in the world!


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## cbaum86 (28 Jan 2021)

Well in order to get into the maintenance mood I decided to don a present from the other half. Does this work like an RPG where I can gain +1 to scaping with the right attire - maybe I can get a 10% bonus to all stats if I get a matching set?




I'm really struggling with the scape at the moment - more precisely struggling to enjoy it. The spirogyra is hitting the positive vibes hard and my attitude of "I'm going to beat this" is trailing off after several weeks now. I'm feeling the rescape vibes bad at the moment; I think the amount of post-christmas new scapes combined with the aforementioned devil algae is really adding to that. Whether luckily or not a rescape is just not feasible at the moment as plod on we must. To combat that a little I did treat myself to a few new plants in the hope that the grass style textures will add another element, more complexity to some of the flatter areas of the scape - will have to see how that turns out.




I moved over a few limnobium laevigatum from the nano tank into this one. For some reason they weren't growing very well in the nano, I think they kept getting pushed under the surface. After a week or so in the main tank they have started to grow but the leaves have become quite pale with these tiger stripes. I wasn't sure if it was lack of nutrients, unlikely as I'm following EI method or the high light that was causing it. Managed to find frogbit deficiency info here but I'm not sure there is a conclusion. For some reason, I've always struggled with floating plants in any tank I've tried them, they just seem to melt away.


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## cbaum86 (28 Jan 2021)

The sand path is now no more and completely covered by the monte carlo. This is where I decided to plant the eleocharis and hygrophila. The eleocharis along the fringes to try soften the edges where the monte carlo met the seiryu stone and the hygrophila more central to give a contrast in colour. Looking a bit regimental at the moment but once it starts growing in and with a bit of trimming I'm hoping things will soften and blend together more.




When planting these areas I also noticed something growing from one of the cracks in the stone. No idea what it is, presumably some stowaway from the stones natural location as this is the first tank I've had it in. The stone has now been in the scape for around 9 months so it's obviously an enormously slow grower or being hibernating - lets see how it goes.


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## dw1305 (28 Jan 2021)

Hi all,


cbaum86 said:


> After a week or so in the main tank they have started to grow but the leaves have become quite pale with these tiger stripes.


I might try a different <"chelator for iron">.

Have a look at @jameson_uk's threads linked from <"Is this amazon frogbit ?">.

I think your plants show distinct similarities to these.





cheers Darrel


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## cbaum86 (28 Jan 2021)

dw1305 said:


> I might try a different chelator for iron. Have a look at @jameson_uk's threads linked from <"Is this amazon frogbit ?">.


Cheers as always Darrel.

I may have to do some additional googling to understand what all those abbreviations mean in the real world - and probably understand on a more fundamental level the chemistry of Iron.

I'm currently using Aqua Plants Care CSM+B for micro with dosing calculated using Zeus fert calculator to give me 0.1ppm dosed 3x per week. I guess looking at the plants though they are clearly lacking something. I do have a huge bottle of Seachem Flourish Iron stowed away in a deep dark cupboard somewhere so I might give that ago. Although from the linked threads it sounds like Glucate isn't the best form to use despite the Seachem marketing on their website which claims this is a far superior form. I can't comment either way because it's chemistry mumbo jumbo to me at the moment.


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## jameson_uk (28 Jan 2021)

cbaum86 said:


> Cheers as always Darrel.
> 
> I may have to do some additional googling to understand what all those abbreviations mean in the real world - and probably understand on a more fundamental level the chemistry of Iron.



My limited understanding is that the iron in CSM+B (and most off the shelf ferts) becomes unavailable to plants pretty quickly at higher pH levels (which you get in hard water). You can get different types of iron which stay usable for longer. So although you are adding iron, the plants can't use it.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]


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## cbaum86 (28 Jan 2021)

jameson_uk said:


> at higher pH levels


Thanks for the info, looks like some weekend reading for me. My tank pH is around 7.6 before co2 starts and dips to around 6.6 - 6.8 during.


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## dw1305 (28 Jan 2021)

Hi all, 


cbaum86 said:


> and probably understand on a more fundamental level the chemistry of Iron.


Simple enough really, a lot <"of iron compounds are insoluble">, particularly in water above pH7. 

If we add a  soluble iron salt, like ferric chloride (FeCl3.6H2O), to hard, oxygenated water then the iron ions as almost immediately mopped up by  <"phosphate (PO4--)">, bicarbonates (HCO3-), hydroxides (OH-) etc. to form a series of insoluble compounds. 

The insoluble ferric iron compound most of us are familiar with is "rust":  "_Rust consists of hydrous iron(III) oxides (Fe2O3·nH2O) and iron(III) oxide-hydroxide (FeO(OH), Fe(OH)3)_" and rust doesn't ever go back into solution as ions.  Iron oxides/hydroxides  form the <"red colour in lateritic soils and bricks">, the iron is still there, but it is totally unavailable to plants.

Because of these issues, we supply <"iron as a "chelate"">, where the iron ions (Fe++/+++) are complexed with an organic acid, this could be a weak bond such as that formed in <"iron citrate or iron gluconate">, or a much stronger bond in FeEDTA, FeDTPA, FeEDDHA etc.


cbaum86 said:


> Although from the linked threads it sounds like Glucate isn't the best form to use despite the Seachem marketing on their website which claims this is a far superior form.


<"Seachem's advertising"> unfortunately. Some chelating agents are <"more effective than others">, particularly in hard water which is why @Zeus. and @Craig Matthews <"are using FeEDDHA">. 

cheers Darrel


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## cbaum86 (28 Jan 2021)

dw1305 said:


> Simple enough


Thanks again! I'll have a look at modifying the trace mixture and see what happens with the new leaves.


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## dw1305 (28 Jan 2021)

Hi all,


cbaum86 said:


> I'll have a look at modifying the trace mixture and see what happens with the new leaves.


It is only likely to be iron (Fe) or manganese (Mn) that <"cause chlorosis issues"> with new leaves. This is because <"they aren't mobile within the plant"> and the plant can't shuffle them from old to new leaves in the way that it could with magnesium (Mg), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) or potassium (K).

<"Chempak Sequestered Iron"> may work. Because it takes a while for new green leaves to grow, if you are deficient in available iron the first sign you got might be <"green algae growth">.



Konrad Michalski said:


> ............After 7-10 days between water changes my glass was spotlessly clean and never had to even wipe it off. After dosing some additional Iron (only about 2ml/day) my glass became green after 4 days. After 7 days I had to scrape it off as it looked disgusting. Now stopped dosing it again and my glass is clean again...........



Have a look through <"_Rotala rotundifolia growth issues_"> if you have time.

cheers Darrel


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