# Is my windowsill vase doomed?



## techfool (4 Sep 2017)

I started a 6 litre vase a few weeks ago:

Light: sunlight only (you know where this is going already) from sitting on a windowsill that gets good morning sun and catches the mid-day sun just cos that is so powerful. 
Flora: Brazilian Pennywort, Frogbit, Watersprite, Java Fern, Sag. Subulata, crypts,  a few random stem clippings. The Frogbit and Watersprite is doing very well. The Pennywort is doing okay.  The other stuff is just sitting there.
Fauna: 2 male guppies and 2 amano shrimp taken from the main aquarium; a tiny snail that has given birth to an even tinier baby
Substrate: coarse sand/fine gravel with root tabs
Carbon: haphazard Dennerle Carbo elixir bio; I don't know if this is glute but feel it must be
Ferts: easy life profito (so trace only), 1 drop a day
Temp: currently swings between 22 to 25 degrees Celsius which doesn't seem to bother the inhabitants.

Ammonia: probably a background trace amount. It's never shown on a test but at first set up the fish were showing some distress which they aren't anymore
Nitrites: never
Nitrates: almost 0
Water: hard, so hard, and high pH between 7.6 and 8+ according to the water board report
Water changes: 25 to 40% once  a week interspersed by smaller changes

I noticed a lot of algae growing on the java fern a few days ago. It's short hairs that give an overall fuzzy appearance. It pearls like mad in the sun, looks like Christmas lights.  I don't want it to suffocate my plant. 
I've decided to take the jar off the windowsill during the day while I'm at work rather than subject it to the full glare of a cloudy British day. Interestingly, even indirect clouded sunshine is very bright compared to my aquarium lights. The Sun God says "take that, you puny lightbulbs!"
I suppose the advice will be to take it off the windowsill permanently but I really like the location. It gives me something to look at while I do the washing up and I find I like to study it and its inhabitants quite closely.  They are pretty much at eye-level.
Is there any way of  making this work _plant-wise_ (I'm not wedded to keeping the fish in there, as Winter is Coming)?
Has anyone else had success with a similar set up or is this doomed?
It was only going to be an experiment but now I've grown attached to it.


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## Nelson (4 Sep 2017)

Move it and get a dishwasher .

Sorry ,I meant get a desk lamp for it.


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## zozo (4 Sep 2017)

The problem with a vase also is volume versus surface area.. Not realy beneficial for a proper gas excgange if bombarded with loads of light.


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## alto (4 Sep 2017)

I have 2 x 30cm cubes & an ADA45P on an East facing window - morning sun from sunrise to noon - no CO2, 
basic filters (a far cry form 10x), Tropica (powder) soil, occasional water change (my intentions are always better) & even more occasional fertilizer, planted heavily from Day 1, snail & shrimp algae crew, occasional fish (though the 45P would be fine) 

I do have a blind on the window & it's been in use through this extraordinary sunny summer - blind is presently lowered to just tank height but opened in afternoon or evening - in winter months, blind is kept mostly open (cloudy rainy days)

Tanks occasionally go through amazing algae phases  
- which mostly sort themselves (surprisingly rather quickly) as despite intentions, I seldom manage much actual work on these tanks 

In the absence of a filter, I'd opt for daily water change (if possible) as that will improve CO2 levels, also if water column is shallow rather than deep, this dramatically increases gas exchange/diffusion 

So just trial & error your way to success!


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## techfool (5 Sep 2017)

"So just trial & error your way to success!"
 Thanks, I am being more interventionist, let's see how it goesI


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## micheljq (5 Sep 2017)

I had my 65 gallon tank in the past near a window and catching full sun.  I never saw the plants being so cute and the growth was crazy.  I was dosing ferts but no co2.
Bacopa, limnophila, were pretty and bushy.
However on the second month, the tank was getting serious green water algae.

Unfortunately i had to move tank wife did not want it there.

I would do it again but you need curtains or blinds to cut the sunlight, especially when the sun is near the summer's solstice.

Michel.


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## techfool (6 Sep 2017)

The water sprite has sent out an emersed shoot, which is cool.
I am reducing the light exposure and instigated daily water changes. The vase is a cylinder so not very narrow. I eschewed the more fancy shapes.

I looked more closely at the plants below the waterline and they are ALL covered in green algae.  It is in the form of short hairs. 
Is there a chance that this algae will die off by itself or do I have to kill it?  It doesn't rub off. 
Should I throw these plants out and start again with healthy plants?  I'd like to save the java fern if possible as I've had it years.


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## BexM (6 Sep 2017)

techfool said:


> "So just trial & error your way to success!"
> Thanks, I am being more interventionist, let's see how it goesI


I hear you there, it's so hard not to tinker around with stuff.


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## BexM (6 Sep 2017)

+1 for the desk lamp because you can adjust the light. I had a large cylinder vase set up with an led daylight desk lamp and it was my most successfull tank...I miss it!

I suppose you could do a mild bleach dip for the plants if you are worried but you may find the water changes and lower light help it clear up. You could also try a blackout which would be easier and less risky.


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## techfool (8 Sep 2017)

update: I realised the algae was so prevalent that I needed to take drastic action. It was even growing in the pennywort roots.
I took out all plants except the floating ones and java moss.  I removed the java fern from the driftwood and returned the driftwood to the vase so the shrimp have somewhere to moult.  The evicted plants are in a bucket for a three-day blackout while I consider their fate. They had put out some good roots but otherwise looking sad.
It will be interesting to see if the floating plants alone can keep the ammonia down. I suspect they were doing all the heavy lifting anyway.
The fish are unbothered, in fact they seem to appreciate the extra space.  The shrimp have stopped freaking out and are back to combing the substrate.


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## BexM (8 Sep 2017)

good luck, I hope it works for you.


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## techfool (11 Sep 2017)

I've an update if anyone is interested.
I unveiled the plants this morning, the pennywort was looking good so I put it back in the vase. 
The crypts still had algae on them, I think it's cladophora. It feels gritty and won't come off. I also think I introduced it myself - my moss ball had a baby and I threw it in the vase.  I feel sorry for the crypts with their naked white roots, so am keeping them in the bucket while I decide what do with them. The younger java fern leaves are worth keeping. The old ones are going in the trash.
The light situation is resolving itself as it's Autumn now.  I also shade the vase depending on how bright it is.
I have an ammonia spike caused by covering the existing inert substrate with less inert tropica aquarium soil that I had kicking about.  The fish and shrimp seem unconcerned, but I'll keep an eye on it.  Up until then, the floating plants were keeping the ammonia down.
I'm considering getting more plants, plants that can do well in low or high light (hygrophila, juncus - any recs?) and replacing the amanos with cherry shrimp. I can't see the amanos against the black substrate.
I saw some rasbora brigittae in the LFS. They are itty bitty little fish. I'm wondering if I can keep those in a 12l bowl.


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## BexM (11 Sep 2017)

pictures?


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## techfool (11 Sep 2017)

Before the tear down


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## BexM (11 Sep 2017)

It looked good,  shame about the algae. I think hydrocotyle tripartita would do well in there. I used to have Ludwigia repens "mini super red" in mine and that used do grow well and looked lovely, I got if from eBay so I don't know if that's the proper name for it.


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## BexM (11 Sep 2017)

I think Ludwigia polysperma would be OK too.


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## Stickleback (11 Sep 2017)

I have had a few tanks that catch full sunlight. I have always found the best solution is to have as many immersive plants as possible. It really makes a huge difference. I have a plant pot pond on my balcony that catches hours of full equatorial sun and have managed to get rid of the algae just by having a lot of Echinoderms floribundas growing. It does grow and dominate very quickly though.

One plant I love using as an immersive plant and which grows really well with it's roots in water is Ficus pumila, climbing fig. Again I have always found it to be really helpful at balancing my low tech, high natural light tanks.


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## techfool (11 Sep 2017)

Stickleback said:


> I have had a few tanks that catch full sunlight. I have always found the best solution is to have as many immersive plants as possible. It really makes a huge difference. I have a plant pot pond on my balcony that catches hours of full equatorial sun and have managed to get rid of the algae just by having a lot of Echinoderms floribundas growing. It does grow and dominate very quickly though.
> 
> One plant I love using as an immersive plant and which grows really well with it's roots in water is Ficus pumila, climbing fig. Again I have always found it to be really helpful at balancing my low tech, high natural light tanks.


I have a pothos, I'll try it with that. Thanks for the tip.


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## Stickleback (12 Sep 2017)

Hi, sorry just looking back at my post and it must have been autocorrected to immersive, I meant emmersive, as it growing above water but with the roots below water.


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## dan4x4 (19 Sep 2017)

potamogeton gayi might do well in there, i say this as it has grown well outside in a jar just left in my garden.


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## techfool (14 Oct 2017)

Here it is a month after the rescape, if you can call it that.  I shade it most of the time. Dose aquascaper complete and easycarbo.  No more algae growing on the plants, just some green spot on the glass, not a big deal.
The guppies have been named Rose and Stirling as they get on so well. Shrimp are fine. Temp. still holding up, coldest it's been is 20 degrees


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## chinwag (14 Oct 2017)

Cool, looking very healthy!


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## dan4x4 (14 Oct 2017)

that is looking sweet


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## techfool (30 Dec 2017)

Well, here it is in the depths of winter. The hygrophila and pennywort is doing super well emersed. Frogbit is fantastic. In fact, this vase is looking better than all my other aquariums which I'm having trouble balancing.


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## chinwag (30 Dec 2017)

Wow that's really taken off!


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## dan4x4 (1 Jan 2018)

Looking awesome! I have left my jar outside but its finally all dead, I was surprised how long it lasted. Died in November. 

I started a fish bowl and used sea glass as a substrate but ran out of sea glass so its not filled. Thee java fern died, sagittaria died but hydrocotyle is doing quite well.


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## techfool (14 Apr 2018)

And here it is again as the days grow longer. The white flowers are pennywort.


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## Petra R (14 Apr 2018)

Presumably Rose and Stirling have moved?


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## techfool (14 Apr 2018)

Yes, I even took the shrimp out to more spacious quarters.


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