# Tidy Jungle II & III



## Courtneybst (3 Feb 2021)

Hi Everyone!

It's been a long time since I've been on UKAPS actively but for obvious reasons (and an injury) I've had a lot more time to devote to my aquarium.

Some of you might remember my first journal 75 Gallon Tidy Jungle which was a low energy, densely planted setup. It was really successful but after some neglect the design ended up changing drastically. After 4 years I've also hit an unavoidable wall; my substrate has turned to mud. Whilst the Cal Aqua Labs substrate was great initially, like most aquasoils it's decomposed and has become so dense the plant roots can't penetrate it and are ultimately suffering.

My plan is to do a 'rebirth' if you like. A complete rescape and I'll be changing everything, keeping some plants from the current scape. There's not much to show right now but it's nice to be back!

Full Spec:
UPDATED: 6th April 2021

*Tank*: Juwel Rio 300
*Filter*: Eheim 2217 & Eheim 2213
*Lights*: 4 x T5 54w (iQuatics Day)
*CO2*: CO2 Art Regulator/Inline Diffuser, 2KG Fire Extinguisher
*Ferts*: Full EI ( - Potassium Nitrate)
*Misc*: Hydor Koralia 900 & 1600 Powerheads

*Fish*: 
Rummynose Tetras
Corydoras Sterbai
Siamese Algae Eater
Glowlight Tetra
Apistogramma Macmasteri 'Red Mask'
Amano Shrimp
Clithon Corona Snails

*Plants*:
Microsorum Pteropus Trident
Microsorum Pteropus Narrow
Lindernia Rotundifolia
Ludwigia Sp. Super Red
Vallisneria Spiralis
Echinodorus Parviflora
Cryptocoryne Balansae
Cryptocoryne Amicorum
Cryptocoryne Beckettii Petchii
Cryptocoryne Wendtii Brown
Nymphea Zenkeri Red
Hydrocotyle Leucocephala
Hydrocotyle Tripartita
Hydrocotyle Verticillata
Anubias Nana Paxing
Anubias Nana Petite
Bucephalandra Green Velvet
Bucephalandra Red
Bucephalandra Kedagang
Bucephalandra Crocodile Land
Bucephalandra Unknown Varieties
Eleocharis Acicularis
Micranthemum Tweedei


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## Tim Harrison (3 Feb 2021)

Welcome back 
Can we look forward to a new journal?


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## Courtneybst (3 Feb 2021)

Tim Harrison said:


> Welcome back
> Can we look forward to a new journal?



Most certainly Tim


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## Courtneybst (7 Feb 2021)

Bits for the rescape are slowly trickling in. I've got two external filters so I'm replacing one inlet/outlet with these stainless steel ones. I'll get another one in due course.

I like how the glass lily pipes blend into the scape but I didn't want to risk breaking it and I know they get visually dirty much quicker. Also there's just something about the steel that looks premium, almost steam-punkish!


Expert at nothing, dab hand at many.


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## Courtneybst (9 Feb 2021)

The hardscape is all here now, only thing left is the plants! Hopefully they come through soon.

I also got myself a little notebook to keep a weekly journal of the cause and effects in my effort to balance the tank out. Helps with my memory too haha.


Expert at nothing, dab hand at many.


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## Wolf6 (9 Feb 2021)

Are you going low energy again or high(er) tech?


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## Courtneybst (9 Feb 2021)

Wolf6 said:


> Are you going low energy again or high(er) tech?



I'm going low energy 

I have to admit I've been tempted more than ever to get a CO2 setup but I feel like I'm gonna cause a catastrophy. It also doesn't fit into the fact that I'm the type of person to go on holiday for a month. But I'm very tempted...maybe someone can reassure me.


Expert at nothing, dab hand at many.


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## Courtneybst (12 Feb 2021)

So I went FULL NERD today.

Decided to build an aquascaping dojo out of the box my mattress came in. It's really sturdy cardboard so I lined the bottom with plastic to prevent any leaks. Out of pure luck, it's almost the exact dimensions I'm going to be scaping with!

The design was given to me by Aquarium Gardens but I changed some parts of it as I'm using less of/different type of rock. I wanted the branches to be a bit tighter and look similar to the roots of a single tree. I also wanted a much steeper incline with a very very shallow area at the foreground and right hand side. The design in the pictures is not final because a lot of the rocks I'll be using are still in my current scape and won't be moved until the day I start. I just used enough rock to get a rough idea and hold the pieces steady.

I'm using Alfagrog 'haggis' along the back wall to create height (substrate isn't cheap lol). I'll put a very very thin layer of Unipac Black Micro Gravel over the haggis and then Tropica Substrate so it doesn't all fall through the holes. I'll then cap it all with the micro gravel on top.

I cut out some shapes to see where I wanted certain plants to go. Some of the placements will change based on plant success and if I think the hardscape is getting overshadowed. The idea is to have the base of the wood completely covered in plants so the branches are sticking out plumes of foliage, leaving the most prominent part of the branches bare (we'll see how achievable that is low energy haha).

















Expert at nothing, dab hand at many.


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## Wolf6 (12 Feb 2021)

Looks nice, but what is your plan with the piece coming forward?


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## Courtneybst (12 Feb 2021)

Wolf6 said:


> Looks nice, but what is your plan with the piece coming forward?



Thanks, the piece hanging over will fit in the actual tank as it's about 4 inches deeper than the box.


Expert at nothing, dab hand at many.


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## Courtneybst (18 Feb 2021)

My current lighting unit is not so customisable. The tank is 2ft tall with 216w T5 HO (4 x 54w) a few inches from the water surface. I was running all 4 bulbs with reflectors and judging by the algae growth in the setup I'm about to rescape, it was way too much for low energy. I've since removed the reflectors and I'm only running two bulbs (108w). 

Do you think this would be sensible for low energy? Too high still? Too low? I know it's better to observe than speculate but just wondering what other people's thoughts are.


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## Courtneybst (21 Feb 2021)

In my boredness of waiting for plants to arrive I decided to have a little play with the hardscape again. I came up with this new island style design and I think it's actually a lot more dramatic and eye catching. 

The photos don't really do it justice at all but from what you can see what's your thoughts? Which do you prefer?


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## Courtneybst (21 Feb 2021)

I'm thinking this design instead to break up the symmetry a bit. It works a lot better to create more defined planting sections. Some of the rocks are there for support and won't be there in the final design.


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## Matthew Robinson (21 Feb 2021)

I love the idea with the box, if its okey im going to use the idea myself on my next projects, 👍


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## Courtneybst (21 Feb 2021)

Matthew Robinson said:


> I love the idea with the box, if its okey im going to use the idea myself on my next projects,



Absolutely! It's a great way to practice with no commitment. I wasn't the first but I didn't want to use anything expensive.


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## Karmicnull (21 Feb 2021)

Love the drama of the island version - a real impact scape!


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## Courtneybst (26 Feb 2021)

It's rescape day!


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## Courtneybst (26 Feb 2021)

It's been 4 hours so far, I'm taking a fish and chips lunch break haha. It's one thing setting up a tank but tearing one down and then setting it back up is mammoth.

I must have pulled out no fewer than 150 cryptocorynes and I've separated them for replanting. Also can't get over how beautiful the Red Tiger Lotus is, it's been intensely pink since day 1. Hopefully it'll grow bigger in fresh, uncompacted substrate.


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## PARAGUAY (26 Feb 2021)

Great start. The notebook is a good idea can be refered to for when things went right and wrong and a refence point. Like keen terrestial gardners do


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## Courtneybst (27 Feb 2021)

PARAGUAY said:


> Great start. The notebook is a good idea can be refered to for when things went right and wrong and a refence point. Like keen terrestial gardners do



Exactly my thoughts. I'll use it to help stabilise the tank based on what is/isn't working. Also sometimes I completely forget that I've even grown something! Before the rescape I thought I had never grown vallisneria in this tank, only to find a picture of 2 years ago with a full back wall of vallisneria. How I didn't remember that is beyond me.


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## alto (27 Feb 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> cryptocorynes and I've separated them for replanting.


I’d suggest trimming back the roots for replanting - easier to place in substrate and seems to stimulate new roots growth (often the previous roots will die back as it’s difficult to uplift plants without damaging fine root structure)


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## Courtneybst (27 Feb 2021)

alto said:


> I’d suggest trimming back the roots for replanting - easier to place in substrate and seems to stimulate new roots growth (often the previous roots will die back as it’s difficult to uplift plants without damaging fine root structure)



Thanks! Yeah I trimmed the roots pretty short, maybe an inch or so. Hopefully they don't melt. They didn't melt when I pulled them from my old 200L so fingers crossed.


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## Wookii (27 Feb 2021)

I like your box scapes @Courtneybst - I think the central piece actually works really well and adds a lot of additional tension and drama to the scape - don’t forget you can remove any apparent symmetry with your planting.


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## Courtneybst (27 Feb 2021)

I couldn't even post an update yesterday as I was so exhausted (still am lol). But once I drained/cleaned the tank and moved the fish here are some of the things I did. I'm going into a bit more detail because I like to see the details in journals, even the bits nobody cares about.






Laid a layer of Alfagrog on the base, hoping it will stop the substrate being too deep again. Also I'm guessing it'll contribute somewhat to biological stability with all those pores. I opted not to use the haggis method in the end as these rocks are quite bulky and got in the way of the hardscape.





Put a decent layer of Tropica Substrate down, a bit thicker than what is suggested but there's some heavy rooters going in here so I'm sure they'll appreciate it. Interestingly, the two bags I had looked completely different. One was very fine brown powder and the other was coarse and grey. 





I broke up some Easy Life root sticks to provide some extra initial nutrition. 





I put the hardscape into position. This actually took a long time even though I had already planned out the layout. I can't begin to imagine what would have happened if I hadn't. Admittedly I should have bought more dragon stone as I ran out and my stupid brain didn't account for the fact that the tank is bigger than the replica so there would be more spacing. I had to use some old random rock pieces as stabilisers, but they'll be covered up in no time.





Planted that baby up and then flooded it! I don't know if I got a dodgy bottle but in my experience the Gorilla Super Glue Gel was very temperamental. I'd use it and it would stick instantly and then another time it would barely hold, but it all worked in the end. I used regular low viscosity super glue with cigarette filters, filter floss and black sponge for the tougher bits.





It looks lightly planted in the pictures but I think it's just because the plants are small. It's actually quite dense and there isn't much planting room left. I left a space in the back next to the sword for Cryptocoryne Balansae which is due to arrive.












No floating plants or wood so I'm happy  The water was actually clearer than I expected considering how dusty the gravel was and me sprinkling aquasoil liberally on super glue.


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## Courtneybst (27 Feb 2021)

Wookii said:


> I like your box scapes @Courtneybst - I think the central piece actually works really well and adds a lot of additional tension and drama to the scape - don’t forget you can remove any apparent symmetry with your planting.



Thanks Wooki! I tried to plant in a way that there was a lack of symmetry when compared to the hardscape which I'm hoping will become more apparent as they grow in.


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## Courtneybst (27 Feb 2021)

Full Plant List (Some are arriving shortly):

Microsorum Pteropus Trident
Microsorum Pteropus Narrow
Lindernia Rotundifolia
Ludwigia Sp. Super Red
Vallisneria Spiralis
Echinodorus Parviflora
Cryptocoryne Balansae
Cryptocoryne Amicorum
Cryptocoryne Wendtii Green
Cryptocoryne Wendtii Brown
Nymphea Zenkeri Red
Hydrocotyle Leucocephala
Hydrocotyle Verticillata
Hydrocotyle Tripartita
Hemianthus Micranthemoides
Anubias Nana Paxing
Anubias Nana Petite
Bucephalandra Green Velvet
Bucephalandra Red
Bucephalandra Kedagang
Utricularia Graminifolia (tiny sprig, I just want to see what happens)
Eleocharis Acicularis

There's a lot of plants that I haven't grown before so I don't know how it'll go but they're pretty much all in the easy/medium category. I'm preparing for widespread melt .


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## Earlscapes (27 Feb 2021)

Looks amazing, I love the process of putting it all together and trial and error of it all. Then the hard bit..  patience!! Looks awesome mate, keep up posted.


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## Wookii (27 Feb 2021)

What’s your top layer Courtney?


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## Courtneybst (27 Feb 2021)

Earlscapes said:


> Looks amazing, I love the process of putting it all together and trial and error of it all. Then the hard bit.. patience!! Looks awesome mate, keep up posted.



Thanks Earl!


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## Courtneybst (27 Feb 2021)

Wookii said:


> What’s your top layer Courtney?



Good point! I used Unipac Micro Gravel (2-3mm). Holds the plants really well and in my last tank my Cryptocorynes went absolutely crazy with this combo.


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## Courtneybst (27 Feb 2021)

Bit of back to basics here; I am still using my existing filters on this new scape and this afternoon the ammonia and nitrite is currently reading 0. Would it be safe to assume that my filter bacteria is still working well enough to add some of the fish back? Or should I wait a bit? I also added some Seachem Stability just in case.


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## Paul27 (27 Feb 2021)

Really nicely done, all fits in great together. Just think how awesome it will look when it's all grown in!.


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## Earlscapes (27 Feb 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> Bit of back to basics here; I am still using my existing filters on this new scape and this afternoon the ammonia and nitrite is currently reading 0. Would it be safe to assume that my filter bacteria is still working well enough to add some of the fish back? Or should I wait a bit? I also added some Seachem Stability just in case.


I say you'd be fine to start adding in, not to teach you how to suck eggs but just a few at a time. Amazing how a planted tank absorbs alot more than standard aquarium.


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## Courtneybst (27 Feb 2021)

Earlscapes said:


> I say you'd be fine to start adding in, not to teach you how to suck eggs but just a few at a time. Amazing how a planted tank absorbs alot more than standard aquarium.



Sweet! I'm sure my Angelfish will be happy.
about that.


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## Earlscapes (27 Feb 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> Sweet! I'm sure my Angelfish will be happy.
> about that.


Yeah I always found angels a safer bet with first additions once conditions are right as any minor fluctuation doesn't bump them off and big enough to watch for any signs of issues


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## Paul Kettless (27 Feb 2021)

Looks very good indeed and as other have said quite a dramatic layout. be interested to see this grow out.


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## Courtneybst (27 Feb 2021)

Paul Kettless said:


> Looks very good indeed and as other have said quite a dramatic layout. be interested to see this grow out.



Thanks Paul!


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## Courtneybst (27 Feb 2021)

Very happy that this is one the of the first residents in the new scape. I've had this female Amano Shrimp for 10 years! This is the 5th setup she's been in. Proper trooper.


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## Matthew Robinson (27 Feb 2021)

Lovely scape and a nice selection of plants, im really looking forward to seeing the plants grow and adapt 
Will deffently be keep an eye out in this journal 
Great work 👏


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## alto (28 Feb 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> Bit of back to basics here; I am still using my existing filters on this new scape and this afternoon the ammonia and nitrite is currently reading 0. Would it be safe to assume that my filter bacteria is still working well enough to add some of the fish back? Or should I wait a bit? I also added some Seachem Stability just in case.


When rescaping I always include filter maintenance - important as I only open my Eheim canisters every 3-6 months or even 9-12 months - so there’s always some debris in all the baskets, fine filter pads gets tossed for new, sponge is usually just rinsed, same for the Eheim Mech & Bio Substrats

Cleaning the filter is one of the first jobs once fish are out, it then sits clean and damp (with a few cm water in the canister and lid slightly ajar, inlet/outlet open so high humidity and good oxygen) - biomedia seems stable with this treatment for several days (and possibly rather longer)

Get planting etc done, filter running, everything tidied up (now usually 5am), sleep for awhile, water change with extra Prime, then begin returning all tank inhabitants - shrimp first, give them a good hour to reorient, then various fish gradually in (mostly) species groups ... of course sometimes all the fish end up getting returned in 10min or so as they refuse to cooperate with a more orderly migration plan

I’ve not had any livestock losses with this method (note that I keep shrimp in separate bins from fish)
Daily water changes are done the first while anyway so this should balance any upsets in the filter bio-activity

Note if you’ve any more territorial fish (cichlids, gourami etc) this get reintroduced after shoaling fish are already in, giving the more retiring fish a chance to get sorted first


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## Courtneybst (28 Feb 2021)

Sounds like a solid plan @alto 

I did something very similar. A lot of advice seems to suggest daily water changes in the first week etc etc but I'm pretty sure these are often aimed at new setups and with CO2. So I'm thinking a few more frequent water changes than normal whilst everything settles in but daily will probably be excessive. Considering it's using mature filters, some plants from the old scape and is low energy.

I got incredibly lucky that my Angelfish I've had for around 8 years now is completely indifferent to any fish or shrimp. She wouldn't know the word territorial if it bit her on the tail. I've got some more Amano shrimp on order, and hoping to get to my LFS possibly this week to get some more buddies.


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## Courtneybst (2 Mar 2021)

I added 34 Amano shrimp to the tank and I'm giving them some time to settle in before I add anything else. 

I've ordered some Eleocharis Acicularis, not for carpeting but just to add some detailing to the foreground. I like that blended look of different foreground plants. Also ordered some Hydrocotyle Tripartita for more detail in the midground. I'm trying to have many different shapes, textures and shades and sizes for full on tidy jungle vibes. I'm hoping to let the Hydrocotyle Tripartita grow long and wrap around the Manzanita branches.

I also don't mind the tannins, I quite like it.


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## Matthew Robinson (2 Mar 2021)

Sweet looking brilliant 👍


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## Earlscapes (2 Mar 2021)

Can wait to see the progress


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## WaterCulture (2 Mar 2021)

looks awesome


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## Courtneybst (3 Mar 2021)

The size difference between these two Amano shrimp is hilarious! Left: 2 inch, 10 year old female. Right: Barely an inch, maybe months old?


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## Matthew Robinson (3 Mar 2021)

I have the same in my other aquarium big ones and smaller ones look funny


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## Courtneybst (4 Mar 2021)

I added 10 Rummynose Tetra to the aquarium today and already they've settled in quite well considering. 

All brightly coloured and already feeding voraciously. I hope they all stay alive! Planning to get 10 more eventually to make them feel even more secure.

I wanted to get a dwarf cichlid (Rams or Apistos), do you think it could work? I've had cockatoos and Bolivian rams before but never with Rummynose.


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## Earlscapes (4 Mar 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> I added 10 Rummynose Tetra to the aquarium today and already they've settled in quite well considering.
> 
> All brightly coloured and already feeding voraciously. I hope they all stay alive! Planning to get 10 more eventually to make them feel even more secure.
> 
> I wanted to get a dwarf cichlid (Rams or Apistos), do you think it could work? I've had cockatoos and Bolivian rams before but never with Rummynose.


I have apistogramma with rummy nose get on fine, if they both the female she sees them off but get on well


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## Earlscapes (4 Mar 2021)

stunning addition for colour as well


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## Courtneybst (4 Mar 2021)

Earlscapes said:


> View attachment 164165stunning addition for colour as well



Thanks Earl! Yours look stunning.

Do you keep any Amano shrimp with them too? I saw some Apistos at the shop today and totally forgot that you usually buy them small and they're probably the same size as my amanos. Forgive me, it's been about a year lol.


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## Earlscapes (4 Mar 2021)

I don't have any amano but did drop in 15 cherry shrimp and no bother so far. Still small but plenty of hiding spots and security, they well cull shrimp from main shrimp tank.


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## Courtneybst (4 Mar 2021)

Earlscapes said:


> I don't have any amano but did drop in 15 cherry shrimp and no bother so far. Still small but plenty of hiding spots and security, they well cull shrimp from main shrimp tank.



Good to know!


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## Courtneybst (5 Mar 2021)

It's one week since the setup and I've started dosing as I can see the majority of the plants putting out some sort of growth, be it leaves or roots. I'm testing out 1/10th EI so 20ml macros (without nitrogen) and 20ml micros. 

Also added my beloved Angelfish. As per my predictions, she has little interest in the juvenile Rummynose Tetras or the Amano Shrimp. At first she thought they were food and drifted towards them but never followed through, and now she's completely indifferent. This is the best possible outcome tbh!


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## Wookii (5 Mar 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> It's one week since the setup and I've started dosing as I can see the majority of the plants putting out some sort of growth, be it leaves or roots. I'm testing out 1/10th EI so 20ml macros (without nitrogen) and 20ml micros.
> 
> Also added my beloved Angelfish. As per my predictions, she has little interest in the juvenile Rummynose Tetras or the Amano Shrimp. At first she thought they were food and drifted towards them but never followed through, and now she's completely indifferent. This is the best possible outcome tbh!



Lovely photo that is! Somehow enchanting!


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## Courtneybst (5 Mar 2021)

Wookii said:


> Lovely photo that is! Somehow enchanting!



Thanks Wooki! It was really hard to get her to stay even remotely still.


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## Earlscapes (5 Mar 2021)

Glad its all coming together


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## Tucker90 (5 Mar 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> It's one week since the setup and I've started dosing as I can see the majority of the plants putting out some sort of growth, be it leaves or roots. I'm testing out 1/10th EI so 20ml macros (without nitrogen) and 20ml micros.
> 
> Also added my beloved Angelfish. As per my predictions, she has little interest in the juvenile Rummynose Tetras or the Amano Shrimp. At first she thought they were food and drifted towards them but never followed through, and now she's completely indifferent. This is the best possible outcome tbh!



One of my favourite fish! Next tank I have it’ll be big enough for a few of them! 

Scapes looking great! Look forward to seeing it grow in! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Courtneybst (6 Mar 2021)

Tucker90 said:


> One of my favourite fish! Next tank I have it’ll be big enough for a few of them!
> 
> Scapes looking great! Look forward to seeing it grow in!
> 
> ...



Thanks Tucker,

They're quite majestic and this one follows me everywhere when I'm in the room. I used to have 4 - this one paired up with a white one and so I had to literally divide the tank in half so the male didn't kill the others (he would have hunted the Rummynose and shrimp for sure. He once ate 8 Cardinal tetras overnight!).


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## Courtneybst (6 Mar 2021)

Got some sweet tools from Aquarium Plant Food UK and I have to say it's great to plant things and have them not get yanked out immediately! The finger holes on the scissors are also rounded instead of flat so they don't dig into your skin. Pretty good value too, £25 for everything pictured.

Removed most of the pearlweed and replaced it with Hydrocotyle Tripartita since it was clearly struggling. Also added Dwarf Hairgrass and more detail stones to the foreground. Weirdly, I must be the only person in this forum who is hoping it doesn't spread, I just like the little tufts.


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## Earlscapes (6 Mar 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> Got some sweet tools from Aquarium Plant Food UK and I have to say it's great to plant things and have them not get yanked out immediately! The finger holes on the scissors are also rounded instead of flat so they don't dig into your skin. Pretty good value too, £25 for everything pictured.
> 
> Removed most of the pearlweed and replaced it with Hydrocotyle Tripartita since it was clearly struggling. Also added Dwarf Hairgrass and more detail stones to the foreground. Weirdly, I must be the only person in this forum who is hoping it doesn't spread, I just like the little tufts.


I like it as a feature plant, but if you want a carpet its brilliant


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## Tucker90 (7 Mar 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> I must be the only person in this forum who is hoping it doesn't spread, I just like the little tufts.



Nope! Me too too! 





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Courtneybst (7 Mar 2021)

Tucker90 said:


> Nope! Me too too!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Beautiful!


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## Matthew Robinson (7 Mar 2021)

Nice little tool set there


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## Courtneybst (8 Mar 2021)

I've spotted an uninvited guest tonight! Trumpet snail right?


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## Kogre (9 Mar 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> Full Plant List (Some are arriving shortly):
> ...


May I ask where you got your plants from?  I've made a list for my own aquarium but am struggling to find what I want between Plants Alive and Aquarium Gardens.


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## Courtneybst (9 Mar 2021)

Kogre said:


> May I ask where you got your plants from? I've made a list for my own aquarium but am struggling to find what I want between Plants Alive and Aquarium Gardens.



I got 75% of it from Aquarium Gardens, some plants I bought years ago from Aqua Essentials and the rest from a seller called 'K2 Aqua' on eBay. All really good quality.


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## Earlscapes (9 Mar 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> I got 75% of it from Aquarium Gardens, some plants I bought years ago from Aqua Essentials and the rest from a seller called 'K2 Aqua' on eBay. All really good quality.


Seen that k2 aqua, but weary of any ebay plants, seemed reasonable on price. All arrive ok?


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## Courtneybst (9 Mar 2021)

Earlscapes said:


> Seen that k2 aqua, but weary of any ebay plants, seemed reasonable on price. All arrive ok?



Yeah! Never had any problems with them, always turned up in 24-48 hours max and in good, healthy algae-free quality.

If I'm buying a big haul of plants for a setup or I just need a large amount I get them from somewhere like Aquarium Gardens. Where K2 Aqua comes in handy is that it's great if you only need 1 or 2 things as there's no shipping cost. They also have some random unusual varieties.


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## Earlscapes (9 Mar 2021)

Yh saw about the delivery, thinking I may use them soon then cheers


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## Courtneybst (10 Mar 2021)

This is now just shy of 2 weeks since setup. There's small but noticeable growth on everything. I'm not expecting miracles because this is low energy but I'm pleased!


Some more Trident fern has gone in.
The Buce Kedagang and Red are also in.
Just waiting on some Anubias Petite and that'll be everything! (I say that but I'm always buying plants)
No algae yet, only the typical wood fuzz.
Unfortunately only have 8 Rummynose left. 1 died and 1 is missing (it was panting and separated from the others last night).


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## chrisjohnson (11 Mar 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> I used regular low viscosity super glue with cigarette filters, filter floss and black sponge for the tougher


To do what?


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## chrisjohnson (11 Mar 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> Ludwigia Sp. Super Red


Have u grown this before in non-co2 tank?  I’d love a red plant but didn’t think it would be possible.


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## Courtneybst (11 Mar 2021)

chrisjohnson said:


> To do what?



I used these to absorb the glue and hold the hardscape together.


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## Courtneybst (11 Mar 2021)

chrisjohnson said:


> Have u grown this before in non-co2 tank? I’d love a red plant but didn’t think it would be possible.



Yep! 

I've not done the super red specifically before but it's pretty much just a variation of ludwigia palustris and that grew fine for me without CO2 and was red.

The super red is already turning - orangey red on the tops. It's an easy plant to get red.


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## Courtneybst (12 Mar 2021)

Didn't know where else to post but last night I had a dream (nightmare) that I had to go away and leave someone else in charge of my tank.

When I returned, there was excess food everywhere, BBA all over the rocks and just an all round algae nightmare! I was scrubbing and tearful at the same time.

Maybe I need a break


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## dw1305 (12 Mar 2021)

Hi all,


Courtneybst said:


> Didn't know where else to post but last night I had a dream (nightmare) that I had to go away and leave someone else in charge of my tank.
> 
> When I returned, there was excess food everywhere, BBA all over the rocks and just an all round algae nightmare! I was scrubbing and tearful at the same time.


I have <"a story for you">.

cheers Darrel


----------



## Courtneybst (12 Mar 2021)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I have /www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/my-unfortunate-vacation-experience-and-who-dun-it.12705/']a story for you[/URL]">.
> 
> cheers Darrel



Wow, that's like a real life cluedo moment. My worst nightmare! Glad you got to the bottom of it, albeit much much later.

Do you have any suggestions if you have to be long term? I might be away for a month later in the year and I'm not sure who to ask. Considering it's a month it's more than just feeding, it's a bit of cleaning, dosing, trimming etc. Maybe that's why it was on my mind.

I have an auto doser but it's a smart one and really difficult to understand.


----------



## dw1305 (12 Mar 2021)

Hi all,


Courtneybst said:


> Do you have any suggestions if you have to be long term? I might be away for a month later in the year and I'm not sure who to ask.


I weigh the fish food out and put it in date labelled containers in the fridge, then whoever comes in just has to take the container. I don't worry about the water changes when I'm away and the only other thing I do is clean the pre-filter sponge and hoses (but not the filter media) and remove ~1/2 of the floating plants from the tank.

It has worked pretty well, other than in 2018 and <"2020"> when we had very hot weather while I was away.

cheers Darrel


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## Courtneybst (15 Mar 2021)

Finally got out of the house properly for the first time in months! It's so nice to interact with actual humans for once!

I got some new friends for the tank. I added 6 more Rummynose Tetras to bring the school up to 14. I think I'll eventually get another 6 to make 20 so they feel extra secure.

I also bought 6 Sterbai Corydoras originally but there was only 9 in the tank at the shop and I didn't have the heart to leave the other 3 behind so I turned around and got all 9. Hopefully they settle in well. I haven't kept catfish in years and I forgot how peculiar they are haha.


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## Earlscapes (15 Mar 2021)

Corys are great, constantly gardening for you Nd keeping stuff some settling. I'm going to get more rummynose just for the movement I think.


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## Courtneybst (18 Mar 2021)

So...a few updates.

I added a juvenile Siamese Algae Eater and it's already getting to work. I plan to keep it even when it reaches full size, as long as it doesn't become a bully!

There are very small signs of hair algae appearing. When I say small, you can count the individual strands on one hand so I'm not too concerned yet.

I also bit the proverbial bullet and got myself a CO2 kit. I've been wanting to try it for a long time and I think after 10+ years in the hobby it's overdue. I was originally planning to buy a smaller tank to practice on rather than the main display tank but then I thought if you don't take risks and challenge yourself you'll never grow. I also wanted the technical experience for a business I'm planning to set up.

For now I'll use the EI dosing method simply because I just want a simple straightforward method. I've used it before with good results. Unless someone can advise otherwise.


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## Courtneybst (27 Mar 2021)

Some big updates!

Very sadly my Angelfish died this week. I suspect it gorged itself on food which is probably my fault. It's weird how after so many years you can still make mistakes like overfeeding. I saw that fish day in, day out for 8 years and now it's just... gone. It's a little weird.

With every bad thing comes something good however, since the Angelfish's passing the tank has really come alive. All of the shrimp that were hiding are now out and destroying algae. All the other inhabitants just seem more relaxed.

I haven't touched the CO2 for a good while. It's running at roughly 3 bps and turning the drop checker a vibrant emerald green but not lime green. When I had it higher and turning lime green the fish didn't like it and they're the most important thing at the end of the day.

I've been trying to optimise the flow trying all manner of things but since I'm not using a spray bar I've put all the outputs and powerheads on the back wall, firing at the front glass. The 2217 that has the inline atomiser is facing 45 degrees shooting across the tank and one of the powerheads is pointing up at the surface to give some agitation. It seems to be working and probably the best setup I can achieve with what I've got.

The plants seem happier and I'll tell you what I've noticed since adding the CO2;

The Amazon Sword is growing leaves about 10 inches in size rather than 6 inches and the stems are literally an inch thick rather than the thickness of airline tubing. None of the new growth has visible diatoms on it whereas the old growth does.
The Hydrocotyle Leucocephala has slightly bigger, greener and healthier leaves and is throwing down plenty of roots.
The Cryptocoryne Wendtii Brown is now vertical rather than flat against the substrate and the new leaves are lighter, almost beige but it's too early to see if the leaf pattern has changed.
The Bucephalandra is a bit more sparkly and putting out leaves quicker.
The vallisneria looks much much healthier and is now reaching the surface.
The Cryptocoryne Balansae is looking greener and putting out more leaves.
Still no algae to speak of.

I've added 9 Clithon snails after a message from Green Aqua they suggested that they aren't as bad for egg laying as Nerites so I'm giving them a go. The Amano shrimp have also grown crazy quick, most are close to if not adult size already.

I also added 2 very cute Apistogramma Macmasteri 'Red Mask' from @shangman . They're really healthy, colourful and so inquisitive. I've always loved how dwarf cichlids swim in that start-stop motion. "At the moment" none of the other fish are bothered by them, including the shrimp. In fact at one point I saw one of them less than a few cm face to face with an Amano and the shrimp didn't even flinch. Hopefully it stays that way!

If you're thinking TL/DR, things are going well lol.


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## shangman (27 Mar 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> I also added 2 very cute Apistogramma Macmasteri 'Red Mask' from @shangman . They're really healthy, colourful and so inquisitive. I've always loved how dwarf cichlids swim in that start-stop motion. "At the moment" none of the other fish are bothered by them, including the shrimp. In fact at one point I saw one of them less than a few cm face to face with an Amano and the shrimp didn't even flinch. Hopefully it stays that way!






😍😍😍 Obsessed with this photo tbh 😍😍😍

I'm so pleased they're settling in well, happy they're already bringing you lots of joy and entertainment, their curiosity is so funny! And they have so much growing to do still, I think atm they are about 3cm, and should reach up to 6.5cm.

(ps to anyone reading who is happy to pick up from South London I have many more! 😜)



Courtneybst said:


> Very sadly my Angelfish died this week. I suspect it gorged itself on food which is probably my fault. It's weird how after so many years you can still make mistakes like overfeeding. I saw that fish day in, day out for 8 years and now it's just... gone. It's a little weird.


RIP to your Angelfish, you gave it a fabulous long life, and if you're gonna go, eating too much tasty food has gotta be one of the best ways to go. 


I like the long updates, would love to see some photos of the whole tank and how it's developing now with the CO2!


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## Wookii (27 Mar 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> Some big updates!
> 
> Very sadly my Angelfish died this week. I suspect it gorged itself on food which is probably my fault. It's weird how after so many years you can still make mistakes like overfeeding. I saw that fish day in, day out for 8 years and now it's just... gone. It's a little weird.
> 
> ...



Sorry to hear about your Angel. It may well have been the stress of moving into a new environment, and getting used to elevated CO2 levels perhaps, that may have contributed too? It’s a good age for a fish, nonetheless.

I hope this doesn’t appear a stupid question, but I assume the drop checker, in the picture above is usually under the water level?


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## Courtneybst (27 Mar 2021)

shangman said:


> if you're gonna go, eating too much tasty food has gotta be one of the best ways to go.
> 
> 
> I like the long updates, would love to see some photos of the whole tank and how it's developing now with the CO2!


Right?! Went out like a rockstar.

Oh yes! Some full tank shots are incoming. It's weird because it doesn't look all that different to me but I stare at it every damn day so I'm sure you guys will notice.


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## Courtneybst (27 Mar 2021)

Wookii said:


> Sorry to hear about your Angel. It may well have been the stress of moving into a new environment, and getting used to elevated CO2 levels perhaps, that may have contributed too? It’s a good age for a fish, nonetheless.
> 
> I hope this doesn’t appear a stupid question, but I assume the drop checker, in the picture above is usually under the water level?


Thanks, I think the Angelfish was comfortable in the surroundings but you're right in that the elevated CO2 levels probably exacerbated the situation for it.

Not a stupid question at all! In the picture the drop checker is actually out of the water. I took a picture whilst I was doing a water change when I suspected the CO2 was too high. It's normally submerged and gets to this colour still though.


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## Wookii (27 Mar 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> Not a stupid question at all! In the picture the drop checker is actually out of the water. I took a picture whilst I was doing a water change when I suspected the CO2 was too high. It's normally submerged and gets to this colour still though.



Thought I’d check just in case 😉


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## Courtneybst (27 Mar 2021)

Full tank shot for the junkies.

I think the changes are small and more noticeable in person. A few small things I forgot to mention; I moved all the Lindernia Rotundifolia to the left side so it's just on one side now and put some Hygrophila Difformis in the empty space. The Tiger Lotus split off from the bulb and so now there's two plants, still tiny but I think it just needs time to adjust. Against my strict instructions the dwarf hairgrass is growing and spreading lol but I like it.

For anyone wondering I'm still dosing EI (without nitrates), CO2 on 2 hours before lights on until 2 hours before lights off, 50% water change/detritus vacuum twice a week. Lights on 7 hours a day, currently only running 2 X 54w T5 instead of the full 4 tubes. I don't think I'll need them until the scape is really mature, if ever. Temperature kept between 23-25c. No problems so far.


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## Courtneybst (30 Mar 2021)

So apparently I can't stop buying plants and this scape is starting to live up to its name. I'm looking at the 'For Sale' forum with serious side eye lol.

I gave up on trying to get my Red Tiger Lotus bulb up to speed in a shady corner and instead bought an established plant with leaves. You see already it's a more immediate impact, and will have a much better time reaching the light. I wedged the bulb up high so we'll see what happens to it without substrate. There's one small plant that broke off from the bulb in the centre that I think can catch up but I haven't replaced it yet because I want the Hydrocotyle Tripartita in front of it to get going first.

Also received some great Bucephalandra 'Crocodile Land' from @Horizon Aquatics and some unknown species from @Steve Buce . Somehow in the last month I went from never having grown Bucephalandra in my life to becoming a buce collector. I think there's about 7 different varieties minimum in there now!

I'm also experimenting using Monte Carlo as an epiphyte in the foreground. It looks a bit crap at the moment but if it takes it should look really beautiful. If it doesn't I'll just take it out. Ludwigia is turning super red as advertised but the pictures just wash it out.


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## Kogre (30 Mar 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> Also received some great Bucephalandra 'Crocodile Land' from @Horizon Aquatics and some unknown species from @Steve Buce . Somehow in the last month I went from never having grown Bucephalandra in my life to become a buce collector. I think there's about 7 different varieties minimum in there now!


I've started looking up bucephalandras too... I mean there are so many beautiful varieties of them it's tough to stop wanting more than you have. I can't blame you for for getting more, it's definitely something I'll look more into once I've managed to establish mine.


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## Courtneybst (30 Mar 2021)

Kogre said:


> I've started looking up bucephalandras too... I mean there are so many beautiful varieties of them it's tough to stop wanting more than you have. I can't blame you for for getting more, it's definitely something I'll look more into once I've managed to establish mine.


My rule with getting Buce is I'll only buy a new variety if it looks *significantly* different from one I already have. For instance Green Velvet and Wavy Green look the same to me so I don't _personally_ see the value. Whereas Buce red, Kedagang, crocodile and wavy all look distinctive enough from each other.


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## si walker (30 Mar 2021)

Me too or 3?
Just got a brilliantly packaged bundle from Scaped Nature. Delivery was so quick! Got 10% off the plants too!


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## Courtneybst (4 Apr 2021)

Installed my old plastic breeder box for cherry shrimp to stay in whilst I setup my next project. I have SO MUCH aquarium junk in a storage tote but I'm very glad I didn't throw things away over the years because it's all coming in handy again.

The Echinodorus Parviflora is going mental, it's already 2 inches from the surface at the tallest point and throwing out 1 full size leaf per week (leaves are now 1ft long easy). My Tiger lotuses have also 'woken' up so hopefully they'll make a more prominent appearance soon. The scape is slowly coming to life, can't wait to see it fully mature!

Happy Easter peeps.


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## shangman (4 Apr 2021)

It's looking great, loving the new buces and other plants, it's starting to get proper green now 😍 I can't wait to see it in 2/3 monthswhen it goes really mad!


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## Courtneybst (4 Apr 2021)

shangman said:


> It's looking great, loving the new buces and other plants, it's starting to get proper green now  I can't wait to see it in 2/3 monthswhen it goes really mad!



Thanks! Me too

The Apistos are doing great too, their bodies and fins are getting longer and they're becoming more colourful. Still bickering with each other though haha.


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## shangman (5 Apr 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> Thanks! Me too
> 
> The Apistos are doing great too, their bodies and fins are getting longer and they're becoming more colourful. Still bickering with each other though haha.


Fabulous news! I've been a bit paranoid that they might drop dead on you in case I did something wrong when raising them and didn't realise! Glad to hear they're all good. Have they got red faces yet? Mine have started going red when I drop food in and they bicker over who gets it first, and the fins are slowly getting more orange. In a few months when the plants are popping from that CO2 and the fish are grown and fully colourful this tank is gonna be 🔥🔥🔥

Also... might have to get that crocodile buce ooooh it's SO NICE!


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## Courtneybst (5 Apr 2021)

shangman said:


> Fabulous news! I've been a bit paranoid that they might drop dead on you in case I did something wrong when raising them and didn't realise! Glad to hear they're all good. Have they got red faces yet? Mine have started going red when I drop food in and they bicker over who gets it first, and the fins are slowly getting more orange. In a few months when the plants are popping from that CO2 and the fish are grown and fully colourful this tank is gonna be
> 
> Also... might have to get that crocodile buce ooooh it's SO NICE!



Yeah their faces have started to turn red (more intensely when feeding). I've noticed the colour changing thing now too where they can be almost pale and then suddenly 'turn on' their patterns, it's pretty amazing to see.

Do it do it! It's a lovely Buce. It reminds me of Palm trees.


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## Courtneybst (16 Apr 2021)

Things are going well for the most part!

I cleaned up a TON of wood fungus this week. I've had wood fungus before but never a second round, and this time it was in full force. It hasn't grown back yet so hopefully it'll stay away.

I've started using some DTPA Iron 8% so there's that. Also had my first trim of the stem plants, the ludwigia trimmings went into the new setup and some of the Lindernia got replanted. All of the Monte Carlo floated too so it just wasn't meant to be.

I can't believe the apistogramma are juveniles! They're going to become stunning adults. The dominant one has really started to colour up and his fins are elongating. I was doing some bits in the tank and one of them swam up to the surface and I literally stopped and started in awe. So stunning.

Luckily still no significant algae other than diatoms on the glass and some of the sword leaves. Push push!


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## EA James (16 Apr 2021)

The tanks looking great @Courtneybst the scape looks like it's really coming out at you if you know what i mean?! 

Looks like we nearly have the same fish stock too, apart from i have cherry barbs in mine. I'm picking up some of the beautiful Apistos from @shangman on sunday, that picture looks amazing, so much colour! I'm really excited now haha! Have you had any issues with them and the Rummynose? I have a shoal of 15 but some are still quite small, I'm hoping there is safety in numbers! 

Cheers


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## Courtneybst (16 Apr 2021)

EA James said:


> The tanks looking great @Courtneybst the scape looks like it's really coming out at you if you know what i mean?!
> 
> Looks like we nearly have the same fish stock too, apart from i have cherry barbs in mine. I'm picking up some of the beautiful Apistos from @shangman on sunday, that picture looks amazing, so much colour! I'm really excited now haha! Have you had any issues with them and the Rummynose? I have a shoal of 15 but some are still quite small, I'm hoping there is safety in numbers!
> 
> Cheers


Thanks James! I can't wait for the Cryptocoryne on the left to get taller to match the vallisneria. It does have that 'jumping out at you' effect, especially sitting right in front of it. 

You won't be disappointed! So beautiful and inquisitive. I've not had any problems with them and the Rummynose together, they literally don't pay each other any attention. Even my Amano shrimp are seemingly safe, they certainly don't feel threatened. But one thing I'll say is that all fish are different and their behaviour can change. But judging how mine are I think you'll be fine, they've got the same Dad after all. 😂


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## EA James (16 Apr 2021)

Well now you have the co2 up and running it'll soon get there!

Ok that's good to know, I also have some Amanos but the females won't be intimidated that's for sure...they're huge! The males maybe but hopefully it'll be all good. There's plenty of hiding spaces and cover for them anyway. 
What have you been feeding them on?


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## Courtneybst (16 Apr 2021)

EA James said:


> What have you been feeding them on?


I feed mainly JBL Novo Prawn mixed with Fluval Bug Bites. Occasionally I'll feed them frozen brine shrimp blood worm (chopped up atm because they're small still). I normally feed my fish krill too but I haven't gotten round to that yet.


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## Welearn (17 Apr 2021)

_Hi Courtney,
I must add a very apt title "Tidy Jungle"to compliment such a beautiful scape, big up!! _


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## Courtneybst (17 Apr 2021)

Welearn said:


> _Hi Courtney,
> I must add a very apt title "Tidy Jungle"to compliment such a beautiful scape, big up!! _


Cheers mate!


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## shangman (17 Apr 2021)

It's looking wonderful! And I must say, you take really amazing photographs of the fish, it's so nice to see them growing up and looking so majestic!


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## Courtneybst (28 Apr 2021)

Got to cleaning the tank yesterday since diatoms on the glass are in full swing! Nicer problems to have though...

Had 3rd wave of wood fungus but I haven't noticed any new growth in a week so hopefully it has run its course.

I finally gave up on my super hot pink Tiger Lotus getting any bigger because it's just getting shaded out and probably restricted CO2/flow. So I'm growing it as an epiphyte on the side of the Manzanita and it isn't dying lol. In fact the roots have attached to the wood! I put the narrow leaf Java Fern in its place as it was hidden under the bigger Lotus. It was really thriving and looks so lush compared to how it arrived in the post. Hopefully it'll continue to. I think in the new spot it fills the gap much better. Just wish my Trident fern would be as lush. Any tips for the Tridents?

Still waiting for the Cryptocoryne Balansae to grow in but it's getting taller for sure. 

I also semi regret getting an LED fixture on my nano tank because now I can't stand the colour rendition of the Juwel. It's so... yellow and washed out 😭😩 I'm weighing up my options for lighting upgrades, what do people think about either of these;


2 x Chihiros Vivid II (Yikes)
1 x Chihiros WRGB II 120cm


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## Courtneybst (19 May 2021)

So I've finally made some changes I've wanted to make for a while.

The Echinodorus Parviflora and Vallisneria are gone! Whilst I love them, the Echinodorus was dead set on growing out of the tank and burning itself. I trimmed the leaves but it was starting to look like a celery root haha. I love the vallisneria for its elegant drapes and hiding spots for the they inhabitants BUT it was really blocking a lot of light and so it had to go. (By the way if anyone is local and wants some you can have it, easily 3-4ft long leaves).

The rest of the plants seem to have taken a huge sigh of relief because they're ALL now pearling like crazy! It's like that family member who stayed with you a bit too long and finally decided to leave.

I've split the Lindernia Rotundifolia into two so it's on both sides. I've also added 2 more Red Tiger Lotus and loads of Nympoides Taiwan. My aim is to have a cool mix of luminous green from the nympoides and hot pink from the lotus since they have similar leaves. I think the contrast could be great.

Now just time to wait and see! I may have to adjust my flow again when it all grows in because I don't want the leaves billowing over but I'll cross that bridge...


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## Courtneybst (19 May 2021)

Only a couple of hours in situ.


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## Ady34 (15 Jun 2021)

Lovely looking scape.
I think the lotus and nymphoides will fill the space left by the evicted plants nicely.
Cheerio,


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## Courtneybst (15 Jun 2021)

Ady34 said:


> Lovely looking scape.
> I think the lotus and nymphoides will fill the space left by the evicted plants nicely.
> Cheerio,


Thanks mate! I appreciate that.

I'll have to upload a more recent photo as it's growing in really nice. The nymphoides is a bit slower than I was expecting but it's getting taller and taller.


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## Courtneybst (16 Jun 2021)

Monthly update (where is the time going?!)

It's been a month since I reworked the background plants and added Nymphoides. It's just now starting to take off but it's being hindered by something munching it. At first I thought it was melting but it's without a doubt being eaten. The Amano shrimp and Siamese Algae Eater are my prime suspects. It's also getting a bit shaded out by some of the lotus leaves. I'm not sure why I have so many, I might take some out and leave just the one.

The plants seem to be growing well for the most part. Some of the Hydrocotyle Leucocephala does melt away old leaves and I'm not really sure why. I love the look of it and the repetition but I'm considering something else if I can find something similar. Any ideas what could be causing that melt or what to replace it with?

Since we're in a bit of a heatwave the apistogrammas have been getting some breeding action on! The female found the tiniest hole possible right at the front of the tank and laid a cluster of pink eggs. I think my cool water change disrupted her but it was only her first time. I also added a Gold Ring Hillstream Loach who seems really cool, it never really comes down for food so I assume it's getting enough food from the algae on the glass/rest of the scape.

My next plan of action to is to upgrade the filters as I think it's slightly underfiltered at the moment. Once that's done I was thinking to add some Cherry Barbs.


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## Ady34 (16 Jun 2021)

Looking great with the height and colour from the lily.

The melt may be due to the temp increase, this will have an impact on co2 dissolving so could be a small co2 deficiency. I’m experiencing a similar thing currently and that’s what I put it down to. Either that or increased plant mass in my case.

May be worth supplementing the shrimp diet with some shrimp food accasionally. Again I am experiencing a similar thing with hydrocotle and suspect the amano shrimp. 

Cheerio,
Ady.


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## Courtneybst (16 Jun 2021)

Ady34 said:


> Looking great with the height and colour from the lily.
> 
> The melt may be due to the temp increase, this will have an impact on co2 dissolving so could be a small co2 deficiency. I’m experiencing a similar thing currently and that’s what I put it down to. Either that or increased plant mass in my case.
> 
> ...


Thanks Ady!

Yeah the lily has really become the star of the show. The melting has actually been going on from the start back in February but I suspect a CO2 issue as well, maybe more on the distribution side of things. The filters and the powerheads need upgrading so hopefully that will resolve the issue.

That's a good point about the food, I started feeding repashy Soilent Green and I did notice the day after that there was no additional damage so maybe they're just running out of food!

Thanks for the kind words and help. 😄


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## NatalieHurrell (16 Jun 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> View attachment 165649
> 
> I've spotted an uninvited guest tonight! Trumpet snail right?


Yes.  Trumpet snails.  Brilliant for aerating substrate!


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## Courtneybst (16 Jun 2021)

NatalieHurrell said:


> Yes.  Trumpet snails.  Brilliant for aerating substrate!


I spot him every couple of days or so... At least I think it's the same one haha.


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## Wookii (17 Jun 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> I spot him every couple of days or so... At least I think it's the same one haha.



Ah don’t let them fool you - you’ll go out for the day, come back and there’ll be 5,000 of them! 😆


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## shangman (17 Jun 2021)

My tiny MTS all get stuck in the intake pipe slots and have to be saved daily!! I love them tbh

Lovely photos as always @Courtneybst, especially the apistos 😍👀 The Tiger lotus looks FAB


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## Courtneybst (17 Jun 2021)

Wookii said:


> Ah don’t let them fool you - you’ll go out for the day, come back and there’ll be 5,000 of them! 😆


Hahaha yeah I'm not surprised, since I've only ever seen one at a time I figured the population can't be too out of control so we can stay friends. The only 'pest' snail that I remove on sight are pond snails. I spotted one the other day and don't know how the hell it got there.


shangman said:


> My tiny MTS all get stuck in the intake pipe slots and have to be saved daily!! I love them tbh
> 
> Lovely photos as always @Courtneybst, especially the apistos 😍👀 The Tiger lotus looks FAB


Thank you @shangman ! I try my best haha.


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## Kogre (18 Jun 2021)

Some excellent photo's of what appears to be a tank coming on beautifully.  The fish look in great health.

I had the same with ramshorns and pond snails.  I find their population explodes when I overfeed the tank so I've been reigning it in.


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## Courtneybst (18 Jun 2021)

Kogre said:


> Some excellent photo's of what appears to be a tank coming on beautifully.  The fish look in great health.
> 
> I had the same with ramshorns and pond snails.  I find their population explodes when I overfeed the tank so I've been reigning it in.


Thank you Kogre!

I'm definitely grateful that it's coming along nicely and the fish seem to be happy.

The snails seem to come whether I feed or not haha, I even only feed every other day. I don't mind to be honest. I think I also underestimate how much cleaning the Clithon Corona snails are doing. I put one in my shrimp tank a few days ago as I was waiting for the carpet to have a stronger hold and within 2 days the perimeters were noticeably cleaner.


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## Courtneybst (25 Jul 2021)

Hey everyone, this is a monthly update from the Tidy Jungle II.

I feel like a lot has changed, and a lot is still currently changing. It's a great example of how dynamic aquariums are and are just never the same one day to the next, keeps me on my toes!


The Nymphoides Taiwan I was gifted has finally filled into the space and is looking very lush! The predation on the leaves has also cut right down. I'm still not entirely sure who was eating them, I still suspect the Amano shrimp.
The Tiger Lotus was growing humungous leaves and starting to lose the effect because they were getting too tall to see its beauty. So I started to trim them back hard, leaving only a few leaves and they are now growing smaller just like everyone suggested, so thanks for that! I feed them monthly still as they're hungry plants and I want to keep them at optimal health as they are a bit of a centrepiece. 
Although there is a little bit of algae on the Java Fern Trident, I hadn't realised how lush it was really getting. I pulled multiple clumps from 'overgrown' areas to fill patches where I thought it could use it and it barely looked any different! So there's a lot more in there than I realised.
I've gone from never having kept Bucephalandra back in February to now having over 15 clumps of various species, common and rare. I've nestled them in here, there and everywhere so they're on display, some more subtle.
I removed ALL of the Hydrocotyle Leucocephala. I like the plant and it added to the jungle vibe but it is a total maintenance nightmare! It grows so quickly and the lower leaves tend to die off, I just had enough. I also thought it distracted from the nymphoides as they're both luminous green. I think the tank is better for it.
The Red Tiger Lotus I have growing epiphytically on the manzanita has been in place for several months now and shows no signs of slowing down. The leaves have doubled in size in the last month.
I've changed out the larger filter pipes for Aquario Neo Flow acrylic and I definitely prefer it. Much less visual distraction, and the way it's positioned has meant my CO2 distribution is better somehow. I'll soon be changing the other side, along with the filters and the lighting. Everything is getting an upgrade basically!
I've found great success using citric acid to remove little bits of algae. Just a quick dip (10-15 minutes) in a 1 cup water to 1tsp solution does the trick with no harm to the plants.
I'm looking into how to dose a leaner version of EI and use more root tabs. I've seen others have success with this and I'd like to dose less in the water column.


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## NatalieHurrell (19 Aug 2021)

I love this tank.  It's come on so well.  The hardscape gives such a sense of drama and that lily...😍


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## Scouseboyblue (19 Aug 2021)

Stunning tank 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Courtneybst (19 Aug 2021)

NatalieHurrell said:


> I love this tank.  It's come on so well.  The hardscape gives such a sense of drama and that lily...😍


Thanks Natalie! I was definitely going for drama with this scape. It was originally a 'centrepiece' aquarium if you like but now it's just for me. 😁


Scouseboyblue said:


> Stunning tank
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thank you!


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## Courtneybst (15 Sep 2021)

*15th August 2021*: The scape is doing pretty well, and it's developed a shape that I'm happy with and maintaining. I even had a batch of apistogramma fry reach free swimming stage, and there are some survivors hiding away now they've separated from Mum. Just shows what can happen in regular tap water and with the right natural conditions!

The nymphoides needs frequent trimming so I've added some bolbitus that was kindly gifted to me to fill the gaps where the spindly stems lurk and I think it's done the trick.
The lotus is beautiful as ever, showing no signs of slowing down. Even the epiphytic lotus is still going all these months later!
The ferns are growing very thick and providing a great hiding place for the apistogramma fry.
I added some Barclaya Longifolia I got from World of Water and I'm letting it get a little taller so I can either put it into the background or use it in my contest scape (I think the latter is more likely tbh).
I spoke to George Farmer and he mentioned replacing the foreground with soil as it's currently only decorative substrate. As the hairgrass is unevenly grown due to natural light on one side, I'll pull it all out and re-plant in the soil with some crypts.
I've finally got rid of most of my ugly equipment and upgraded my filters and the tank is much more pleasing to look at, especially at night. 
I have some BBA that's popped up and some persistent GDA but I'm managing both and neither and out of control...yet 😂
Thanks for having a gander!


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## Fiske (15 Sep 2021)

Barclaya longifolia is fast becoming one of my new favourite plants.


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## shangman (15 Sep 2021)

Finally got to visit @Courtneybst 's house yesterday and see his scapes irl (and eat a DELICIOUS lunch) and they're all soooooooo good! There are so many beautiful tanks and little ponds and houseplants with all different styles and techniques. This tank is so beautiful irl, the lotus are especially beautiful (and MASSIVE), the epiphyte one particularly special. And there's great livestock too, including a beautiful ancient golden amano, and those gorg glass catfish. Can't wait to see the video he's done with George Farmer on all his tanks later today, it was great to hear the method behind the madness 

Thanks for the lovely day Court!!!


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## Courtneybst (15 Sep 2021)

Fiske said:


> Barclaya longifolia is fast becoming one of my new favourite plants.


It's really really nice. Also great that it maintains good colour even with 'meh' lighting.


shangman said:


> Finally got to visit @Courtneybst 's house yesterday and see his scapes irl (and eat a DELICIOUS lunch) and they're all soooooooo good! There are so many beautiful tanks and little ponds and houseplants with all different styles and techniques. This tank is so beautiful irl, the lotus are especially beautiful (and MASSIVE), the epiphyte one particularly special. And there's great livestock too, including a beautiful ancient golden amano, and those gorg glass catfish. Can't wait to see the video he's done with George Farmer on all his tanks later today, it was great to hear the method behind the madness
> 
> Thanks for the lovely day Court!!!


Thank you Rosie! It was such a fun day and great to show what's been keeping me busy for the last 6 months!


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## Wookii (16 Sep 2021)

In case @Courtneybst is too modest to post - he's the featured aquascaper in @George Farmer latest video:




Some beautiful and interesting little scapes and projects there Courtney - the video gives a much more impressive insight into them than the stills we all normally post.

I'm particularly interested to hear about the Buce propagation project mentioned in the video - I'm not sure if you've posted about it elsewhere, but if not a new thread detailing it would be great if you are willing and able, as I'd like to try similar myself 👍


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## Courtneybst (16 Sep 2021)

Wookii said:


> In case @Courtneybst is too modest to post - he's the featured aquascaper in @George Farmer latest video:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thank you Wooki, I think you hit the nail on the head! I'm far too modest for my own good sometimes 😅

Like you said, I feel like the videos really capture the essence of the scapes much better than stills can. I'm very appreciative to have been able to share it with you all.

I didn't create the Buce box concept by any means but I'm happy to share the propagation journey and how it was set up. I can start a journal on it.


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## Courtneybst (19 Sep 2021)

Recently returned from a great rare plant haul with @shangman  at World of Water in Enfield. They have some really cool plants!

Picked up some;

Blyxa Aubertii
Nymphea Micrantha 'Gefleckt'
Barclaya Longifolia
Lagenandra 'Red'
Ammania Pedicellata 'Gold'
Anubias Bonzai
A narrow leaf Echinodorus that I CANNOT remember the name of lol. Help me out @shangman 
I'll be holding these between the Tidy Jungle and Frankenstein until my contest tank is ready to be planted... Still on the lookout for Cryptocoryne Lutea 'Hobbit', seems to be out of stock at the moment.


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## Courtneybst (3 Nov 2021)

Hey guys, a medium update for today 😅

A couple of weeks back I was doing some maintenance and decided that as beautiful as Nymphoides Taiwan is, it's a PAIN IN THE ASS to maintain. It gave me the same feeling I got with Hydrocotyle Leucocephala - looks beautiful for a week and then grows out of control, and also some leaves spontaneously melt. So I removed all of it and just left the Bolbitis floating there. There's a lot more room for the Bolbitis now and I don't ever need to trim it! It's also allowed the Cryptocoryne Spiralis Red to flourish, giving a nice pink pop in the back.

I've added a lot more buce to the scape as my Bucephalandra propagation box is getting so full it's ridiculous. I originally said I would never cover up the beautiful Manzanita but I think I've done it tastefully and I won't extend it any further. After an inspiring visit to Aquarium Gardens I decideded to also use Hygrophila Pinitafida and Hygrophila Lancea Araguaia as epiphytes - both doing well! 

On the weekend @shangman  and I will be rescaping the foreground (it's definitely a 2 person job!). There isn't actually any aquasoil in this tank so the foreground will be sucked up and replaced with Tropica Soil that I've had soaking for a good while now. Then I'll replant all of the hairgrass so it's more evenly spread and not lobsided like it is now - interplanted with Marsilea Hirsuta, various Cryptocoryne (Amicorum, Spiralis Tiger, Nurii Rozen Maiden), Blyxa Japonica, Lagenandra Meeboldii Red and some Barclaya Longifolia I'm trying to elongate so I can move it to the back!

One thing the pictures may or may not translate well is just how *DENSE* the plant growth is. The amazing thing about that though is not bragging rights, but that my Apistogramma pair had about 30 little babies in September and one has made it! Despite being in a 'community tank' and not being fed directly, this little fry has survived and can now be seen swimming in the foreground from time to time. It even survived being sucked into the filter and landing on my dining room floor! (another story altogether). To me, just being able to raise one is a magical achievement, considering their eggs are supposedly not even meant to hatch in hard, alkaline water!

I've also added 3 African Glass Catfish which are weird and wonderful. They have 8 whiskers instead of 2, 6 of which are fully retractable like cat claws, it's pretty crazy to see in person. I only ever see them at feeding time or at lights out but I hope to find some more so I can have a big group.

I'm realising this 'medium' update is actually pretty large lol. Ah well.


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## Courtneybst (19 Dec 2021)

How the months keep passing between updates is beyond me! But as usual a few things have changed...




I've added several new tankmates!

8 wild Rummynose tetras went in to bring the school up to 20. It's definitely a lot nicer to see a big school of them, they got stuck in right away.
11 Pygmy Corys from my shrimp tank (I'm trying to close it down but they just keep breeding!). I felt like they'd really appreciate the extra space and it was cool seeing them swim midwater like a tetra, compared to the shrimp tank where they stayed exclusively on the substrate. I want to add more to their numbers but in the last week I haven't seen them much, I only see 1 or 2 at a time. I hope they're just hiding and haven't been eaten!
A pair of Laetacara Curviceps, which are very purdy and peaceful. I'm fairly certain it's a male and female now. It's a shame my female apisto chases them when she's in the heat, but they still come out and like any of the new fish, feeding out front is a good way to encourage confidence. They're still too skittish to let me take decent photos of them though.






The replanted hairgrass is finally starting to produce runners so hopefully it won't be too long before it gets going. In my experience it seems to take a good while to settle down and then just goes nuts. ALSO, the Nymphea Zenkeri that I started growing as an epiphyte has gone absolutey bonkers. It's growing as big as the bulbs growing in the substrate, so I wonder if some of the roots found their way into the soil maybe? Either way is a super nice development and a bit unique.



The tank is also now fitted with an Intaqo Controller. This does several things including pH-based CO2 dosing which should be more accurate and save on CO2 as a bonus, auto-doses my EI fertilisers which is honestly a dream, and monitors the temperature. Good little bit of kit, especially for data nerds!


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## zozo (19 Dec 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> Still on the lookout for Cryptocoryne Lutea 'Hobbit', seems to be out of stock at the moment.



This actually seems to be a mutated/dwarfed cultivar from the Cryptocoryne walkeri. Dennerle noticed by chance that some young runners from this plant refused to grow big. And started cultivating and propagating this offspring to isolate this genetic defect with relative success and launched it on the market under its synonym C. lutea Hobbit.  It doesn't exist in the official botanical species list.

I had it a few years back and the one I got forgot it was a dwarfed mutation and grew into normal C. Walkeri size. Thus finding it is no guarantee it stays Hobbit size. And I guess you have equal chances if you get yourself a C. walkeri, take good care of it to propagate its runners that you end up along the line with this mutation too.


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## Wookii (19 Dec 2021)

zozo said:


> This actually seems to be a mutated/dwarfed cultivar from the Cryptocoryne walkeri. Dennerle noticed by chance that some young runners from this plant refused to grow big. And started cultivating and propagating this offspring to isolate this genetic defect with relative success and launched it on the market under its synonym C. lutea Hobbit.  It doesn't exist in the official botanical species list.
> 
> I had it a few years back and the one I got forgot it was a dwarfed mutation and grew into normal C. Walkeri size. Thus finding it is no guarantee it stays Hobbit size. And I guess you have equal chances if you get yourself a C. walkeri, take good care of it to propagate its runners that you end up along the line with this mutation too.



I have a couple of pots of it too, it took about two months to transition, one leaf at a time, and it’s by far the slowest growing plant I’ve ever had. Mines staying small for now though - very small, so living up to its name (despite the lack of hairy feet).


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## Wookii (19 Dec 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> The tank is also now fitted with an Intaqo Controller. This does several things including pH-based CO2 dosing which should be more accurate



I’m sure you’ve got this covered already, but make sure you have a separate needle valve set to limit the maximum CO2 output, otherwise failure of the pH probe could be disastrous!

Tank is looking fantastic incidentally, and that blue Laetacara Curviceps is a beauty!


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## Courtneybst (19 Dec 2021)

zozo said:


> This actually seems to be a mutated/dwarfed cultivar from the Cryptocoryne walkeri.


Yes and I hope mine stays small! In terms of appearance it's becoming one of my favourite Cryptocorynes. My top 3 is turning into a top 5...


Wookii said:


> it’s by far the slowest growing plant I’ve ever had. Mines staying small for now though


That's interesting, I have most of mine under fairly low light and it's already putting out new leaves and side shoots. In fact all the new leaves are coming through in a really stunning bronze colour! I've taken out all of my Cryptocoryne Parva in favour of the Hobbit.


Wookii said:


> make sure you have a separate needle valve set to limit the maximum CO2 output


How do I go about doing this? I'm not sure what you mean, I'm paranoid now. 😂


Wookii said:


> Tank is looking fantastic incidentally, and that blue Laetacara Curviceps is a beauty!


Thanks Wookii! I can't wait for the Laetacara to grow to fill size. I love chunky but pretty fish. I'm sure the colours and fins will only get better with age. My male apisto has developed the most intensely coloured and flamboyant fins I've ever seen, I'll have to get a video now that we can post them easily.


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## Wookii (19 Dec 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> How do I go about doing this? I'm not sure what you mean, I'm paranoid now. 😂



It’s just that it’s a single point of failure. If the pH sensor fails and presents a false reading to the controller, then it could try and dump CO2 into the tank to bring the pH down. I’d want a decent quality needle valve ahead of the controller on the CO2 outlet that limits the maximum CO2 bubble rate it can release. 

For example you might check manually and set the needle valve to achieve a 1.2 pH drop (with the controller not in line), then you set the controller to target a 1.0 pH drop. That way, if the controller fails, you know that a 1.2 pH drop, and the associated CO2 levels, are the worst it will get.


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## Courtneybst (19 Dec 2021)

Wookii said:


> It’s just that it’s a single point of failure. If the pH sensor fails and presents a false reading to the controller, then it could try and dump CO2 into the tank to bring the pH down. I’d want a decent quality needle valve ahead of the controller on the CO2 outlet that limits the maximum CO2 bubble rate it can release.
> 
> For example you might check manually and set the needle valve to achieve a 1.2 pH drop (with the controller not in line), then you set the controller to target a 1.0 pH drop. That way, if the controller fails, you know that a 1.2 pH drop, and the associated CO2 levels, are the worst it will get.


Oh ok, I think I understand what you mean now. Although, the Intaqo Controller can't adjust the injection rate, that's still done manually by me. This essentially just acts like a smart timer and so will still only come on between certain times, so in theory even if the probe failed and it just injected straight for 8 hours it would be operating as it were before I installed the controller. The failure point would be if the timer mechanism failed but I guess that's a risk most of us take using timers.


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## Tankless (26 Dec 2021)

Really good growth, got round to reading this journal from the start today. What happened to the monte carlo growing on the rocks?


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## Courtneybst (26 Dec 2021)

Tankless said:


> Really good growth, got round to reading this journal from the start today. What happened to the monte carlo growing on the rocks?


Thank you! I appreciate you going through my ramble haha.

I tried the Monte Carlo but it just wouldn't take. I don't have par measurements but I'm pretty sure the light levels are quite low below the the trident fern level, especially now I'm only using 2 x T5 bulbs instead of 4. I was also unknowingly underdosing CO2 back then.

I would try again but I think there's enough going on as it is.


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## Courtneybst (8 Feb 2022)

First update of the year!

The Laetacara Curviceps are settling in well. They're still quite skittish but I'm training them to not fear the camera - It's a slow and very involved process. I finally managed to get a half decent shot of the male.




On a recent trip to Wholesale Tropicals with @shangman , @LondonAquascaper and some other friends that I don't think are on UKAPS, I spotted some juvenile Dicrossus Filamentosus. I didn't actually plan to get these but seeing them there, they looked so healthy and cute so I couldn't resist and bought 5 of them.







The introduction to the tank however was far from smooth, but definitely my fault. In the shop they are in London tap water and so I got complacent with my acclimation and added them too soon. They immediately looked like I'd dropped lobsters into hot water, and were torpedoing at the surface and looking half dead to be honest. Interestingly, this happened when I tried to add my adult male to this tank and again, complacency with my acclimation. I took all five out and put them into a bucket of fresh dechlorinated water and did a slow drip for 2-3 hours. They've been fine ever since! Eating well, confidently exploring the tank and getting bigger. Now I will definitely slowly acclimate any fish I add, regardless of 'hardiness'. Once the contest is over, I want to add the Gold Tetras to this scape as a secondary smaller school to compliment the rummynose tetras.

I've added some rare plants too in the form of Echinodorus Regine Hildebrandt, Blyxa Aubertii (for real this time 😅) and a certain Brownie Ghost 2011. I've adjusted the hue so it looks how it does to me in person.




Lastly, I have been thinking about the carpet as it's annoying me slightly. The hairgrass isn't really filling in and it's all starting to get a bit too messy for my liking - this is the *Tidy* Jungle after all. I considered replacing it with Dwarf Saggitaria or Helanthium Tenellum but now I'm thinking to trim the hairgrass and see if that will stimulate some runners to grow. It would be a shame to pull it all up at this stage, but Christ I hate trimming hairgrass! If that doesn't work, then I'll try a different plant. The Marsilea hirsuta will be coming out though, and possibly most of the blyxa.


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## Courtneybst (28 Feb 2022)

Hello folks!

Edit: Just realised that its one year to the date that I set this tank up! How ceremonious...I'm itching for a rescape!

One thing that I did (that I thought I wouldn't seeing as though I just did it ) is rescape the foreground again. I'm a sucker for pain clearly. The foreground was a predominantly Eleocharis Acicularis with some Marsilea Hirsuta, Blyxa Japonica and Cryptocoryne Amicorum mixed in and I felt like the hair grass just wasn't working. For one, the height was shading out all the other plants down there, encouraging them to becoming leggy and visually, it was starting to become really distracting from the rest of the scape. The mixed carpet honestly wasn't doing it for me anymore either. So I removed it all! Sent the Blyxa off to a guy on here but Royal Mail decimated it (thanks) and the Eleocharis went to another guy. I thought I was going to choose either Helanthium Tenellum or Dwarf Sag as the replacement but I actually went with Eleocharis Acicularis 'Mini' instead.

I didn't want the experience to be a pain in the ass so I treated myself to a pair of ADA Pro tweezers since it was my birthday the week before, and YES they are superior.  I GET IT NOW. Everything went in like a knife through butter and nothing got pulled out or floated (which is pretty remarkable for 4ft of just pure newly-planted  hair grass). 

Next on my list are some ADA scissors as I've heard they're super sharp, but I might have to see which organs I can part with first. Although new growth has been limited in the 2 weeks that it's been planted, I'm very glad I went with the mini. It's the perfect height that I still get the carpet effect without blocking light to other plants and the fish actually come out more! Especially when the sun shines, it makes me feel like I'm watching them on the Savanna.








It also revealed how well the Cryptocoryne Nurii 'Rosen Maiden' is doing in its little cubby hole. Additionally, I'm using a new fertiliser mix which has much more nutrients than my previous as I noticed my Buce, Crypts and Lagenandra seemed to be fading. Since adding it the response has been pretty apparent from the plants in that they're growing better. However, because I increased my lighting to help this carpet grow in, and the influx of spring sunshine it means I'm getting some green dust algae again on the glass. You can't win them all peeps.




New plant additions! I've added some Anubias Congensis 'Mini' which is a beautiful plant and really looks like Aridarum Caulescens but better suited to underwater life. I've kept one submerged and one emersed in my IAPLC tank to see the variation. I was also gifted some of Tropica's LE Eriocaulon Vietnam which looks like a nice plant. It hasn't changed at all, no new growth but no melt either so I assume that it's currently throwing down roots. It remains to be seen..






This is the tank in its current state:


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## plantnoobdude (7 May 2022)

Courtneybst said:


> and a certain Brownie Ghost 2011. I've adjusted the hue so it looks how it does to me in person.


I hope you don't mind me asking, but how much did you pay for it and where did you purchase it? I could import from EU but it'll cost an arm and a leg... cheers!


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## Courtneybst (7 May 2022)

[Annoyingly it posted whilst I was typing!]

Not much in the way of photos today, more reflection and thought.



(We love some evaporation and a patchy carpet).

I've been thinking about rescaping this tank for months now but with the contest tank maturing and starting up my saltwater scape I just couldn't fit it in. Now that they're both running smoothly I can start to make some headway. Previously, I was of the mindset that I needed to have a completely clear block of time so I could rescape but I've come to learn that adult life is *busy* and the best time is when you've got a moment! (For me anyway). Thinking that way would only push the idea further and further into the distance.




The last year and a half has been a great experience in terms of finding out what I like and what I'm willing to do long-term. I've come to realise that nature aquarium style is my favourite and I like keeping a variety of plants and fish but also don't like being restricted by unwritten rules and so I'm creating a nature aquarium that fits my ideals (and hopefully the fish too). 




This new design will use almost all of the existing plants so mainly microsorums, nymphaea, bucephalandra, cryptocoryne and anubias. Predominantly easy plants but grown healthily and allowed to reach a fuller potential. I'll use minimal soil, just enough to hold the hardscape and allow me to plant my cryptocoryne. The foreground will be replaced with a very thin sand layer for ease of maintenance, to prevent cyanobacteria which always comes eventually in the substrate as the tank is next to a south-facing window and I really can't be assed worrying about carpets in a tank this size lol. 

I'm replacing the old faithful dragon stone with some Druid boulders from WIO which will be here soon. They give the feel and impression of hakkai stone but burn a smaller hole in your pocket! I'm thinking to use riverwood or corbo for the main structure and use manzanita for the branches since it will eventually be covered up. This might be a faff though so we'll see! The picture below is my main source of inspiration (I can't seem to find the creator!) but I'll somehow have to incorporate an area for crypts and bucephalandra. Anyone have any ideas how to make that work? My main concern is the trident fern blocking out all the light as per usual, and will it still look effective if I do this?




The fish will also stay the same. I'm quite happy with the mix so why uproot them?






I originally planned to replace the tank too but it's just a cost that I could do without. 😅 So everything is staying the same but I'm changing the lights to a hanging led fixture. It's been 6 years and I'm so *DONE* with the T5 units. The bulbs, the clunkiness, the extreme burn-worthy heat just to name a few things. I'm thinking about a Chihiros WRGB II 120. That would be my only major purchase. I'm hoping to find one second hand rather than new but I know that size isn't easy to come by so may have to buy new.




I'll spend a day taking it down and cleaning, then the following day rebuilding and maybe a third day to see if I still like it. So I'll most likely be calling on @shangman  for assistance. 👀


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## Courtneybst (7 May 2022)

plantnoobdude said:


> I hope you don't mind me asking, but how much did you pay for it and where did you purchase it? I could import from EU but it'll cost an arm and a leg... cheers!


It was a gift from Dennis Wong actually, so no cost incurred fortunately.


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## plantnoobdude (7 May 2022)

Courtneybst said:


> It was a gift from Dennis Wong actually, so no cost incurred fortunately.


shipped all the way from SG? wow, any issues with phyto stuffs?


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## Courtneybst (7 May 2022)

plantnoobdude said:


> shipped all the way from SG? wow, any issues with phyto stuffs?


No it's a bit of a long-winded story but the plants were already here in the UK. It was just a matter of exchanging hands.


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## Courtneybst (4 Jun 2022)

Yesterday I took a trip down to Riverwood Aquatics with @shangman  and @i.am.adonis looking for hardscape for the Tidy Jungle III. I had so many ideas of what I wanted but in the end I realised I just need to go down to the shop, feel the hardscape, and see what speaks to me!

I chose this big heffa which took 2 people to lift/move so I don't think there's any danger of it floating. 👀




This is the hardscape without any adulteration:




There's lots of great crevices, tunnels and holes for plants to be wedged into and for fish to play/spawn in.

 I need to source a chainsaw though to cut off the top right section. I can use tools fine but I don't really feel comfortable using a chainsaw with no experience so I'd ask someone else to cut it! As beautiful as it is, removing that section will majorly increase light penetration to the back right corner and allow me to actually see the background plants. That piece will also be amazing in its own right in another scape or maybe even integrated into this one down below.

 I also thought it was hilarious that it seems I won't need much rock after all, despite having 25KG of it on hand. 🙃




This is a rough sketch of what I had in mind. Apologies for the awful photo, I only have my phone to use 😅. Maybe @shangman  can fix a nicer one haha. I'll be reusing all plants from my two current setups, only 1 new plant was purchased.




I'm planning to keep the majority of the foreground as sand for ease of maintenance and pleasure for the fish. I will also keep the bottom holes as a visible end point (hopefully lit) which should add to the depth of the scape and create another section of interest.

The new aquarium is already here too, just waiting on some bits to arrive so I can keep on scaping! Staring at this empty tank is painful...


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## Toby C (4 Jun 2022)

Courtneybst said:


> I need to source a chainsaw though to cut off the top right section.



Beautiful piece of wood. I’d be a bit wary of using a chainsaw on it though - the vibration could fragment some of the smaller sections. I’d opt for something more precise like a jabsaw.

What’s your experience of the glass catfish? I’m setting up a 90cm tank (when I finally move house) and most likely going to have a group of them.


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## Courtneybst (4 Jun 2022)

Toby C said:


> I’d be a bit wary of using a chainsaw on it though - the vibration could fragment some of the smaller sections. I’d opt for something more precise like a jabsaw.


Interesting! Do you think it would be sufficient? Some parts of the bit I need to cut is like 6" thick!


Toby C said:


> What’s your experience of the glass catfish?


I think they're beautiful fish with interesting behaviour. They much prefer dark, shaded environments and so will exclusively camp out in the densely planted areas, unless they have no cover at all. They will move for food though - they are voracious eaters!

 At night when the lights go out is when you see most of their activity. They explore all areas of the tank nonstop - a complete juxtaposition to their daytime behaviours.

I would definitely recommend a group of at least 10.


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## Toby C (4 Jun 2022)

It will just take longer - you could always get a small reciprocating saw (these can be bought new for around £30-40). IMHO chainsaws aren’t that precise, and in my hands would make a mess of it. 

Thanks for the input on the glass cats - it’s going to be inspired by Fukada’s ‘tankei’ should so have lots of shaded / darker areas. Are they particularly visible in tank? If they’re the main shoal it’d be nice to see them during lights on/off.


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## Courtneybst (4 Jun 2022)

Toby C said:


> you could always get a small reciprocating saw


Ok thanks, I'll look into one of those.


Toby C said:


> Are they particularly visible in tank?


Yeah, even when they are 'hiding' they're still visible. Most of them at least. For that reason I don't know how many I actually have as I never see all of them at once.


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## The Miniaturist (4 Jun 2022)

That's one fabulous piece of wood....I'm still trying to get my head round it taking two people to lift the thing!
Eagerly waiting for the next episode...!


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## Courtneybst (4 Jun 2022)

SO, you might not know but I don't take defeat easily. I'm not a sore loser by any means but I hate being defeated by seemingly achievable tasks.

I got down on my knees with a box saw and a drill, and hacked at this heffa for 2 hours.

HE SHALL NOT, HE SHALL NOT BE MOVED!


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## Deano3 (6 Jun 2022)

Looks great, what a beast of a peice of wood its huge 😅 cant wait to follow along with more progress , great job on the wood hard work payed off 👍 

Dean


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## Tankless (7 Jun 2022)

Which brand is the new aquarium?


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## Courtneybst (7 Jun 2022)

Tankless said:


> Which brand is the new aquarium?


Evolution Aqua


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## Wookii (7 Jun 2022)

Courtneybst said:


> Evolution Aqua



Second hand?


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## Wookii (7 Jun 2022)

Courtneybst said:


> SO, you might not know but I don't take defeat easily. I'm not a sore loser by any means but I hate being defeated by seemingly achievable tasks.
> 
> I got down on my knees with a box saw and a drill, and hacked at this heffa for 2 hours.
> 
> ...



Awesome piece of wood! By the way @Courtneybst  you may have started a new branch (pun intended!) of aquascaping - heavy duty hardscape whittling!


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## Courtneybst (7 Jun 2022)

Wookii said:


> Second hand?


Yeah, I got it from a guy on eBay. Although, it's never been used! It's still in the original shrink wrapping.


Wookii said:


> Awesome piece of wood! By the way @Courtneybst  you may have started a new branch (pun intended!) of aquascaping - heavy duty hardscape whittling!
> 
> View attachment 189624


Thanks mate! 😅

I wanted to get a piece that was just bold enough to speak for itself, but also functional to allow me to wedge plants into and for fish to use. As much as I love manzanita, it never comes with many crevices and so attaching is usually a tying or glueing job. Bog wood is also way cheaper than manzanita! 

I wonder what I could have whittled with a chainsaw...


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## Wookii (7 Jun 2022)

Courtneybst said:


> Yeah, I got it from a guy on eBay. Although, it's never been used! It's still in the original shrink wrapping.
> 
> Thanks mate! 😅



Nice find! The older Evolution Aqua version of the Aquascaper tanks are definitely the way to go if you like the invisible silicone seams. I recently took delivery of a 1500 of the newer DD version, and had to send it back. The silicone work was like something from 20 years ago, with a massive thick bead down the inside corners, and a 10mm overlap on the front glass:













The new Aquascaper tanks aren’t what they were under EA - buyer beware!



Courtneybst said:


> I wanted to get a piece that was just bold enough to speak for itself, but also functional to allow me to wedge plants into and for fish to use. As much as I love manzanita, it never comes with many crevices and so attaching is usually a tying or glueing job. Bog wood is also way cheaper than manzanita!
> 
> I wonder what I could have whittled with a chainsaw...
> View attachment 189626



Yeah, I’m going that way myself, I have a good stash of manzanita and talawa wood that I’ve picked up off eBay, but I stumbled across a couple of massive pieces of corbo root when I visited Proshrimp that’ll I’ll be using in the new tank, that - as you say - just sit there and speak for themselves, no messin’!


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## Courtneybst (7 Jun 2022)

Wookii said:


> The older Evolution Aqua version of the Auqascaper tanks are definitely the way to go if you like the invisible silicone seams.


I have to say the silicone on this one is immaculate! ADA quality for sure.


Wookii said:


> I recently took delivery of a 1500 of the newer DD version, and had to send it back.


Oh damn, that silicone work is pretty poor, I don't blame you!

Also, you're plotting a new 150cm? 👀


Wookii said:


> when I visited Proshrimp


I like the sound of your plan. I didn't realise Pro Shrimp had a physical shop!


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## Wookii (7 Jun 2022)

Courtneybst said:


> Also, you're plotting a new 150cm? 👀



Yeah, been plotting it for about 2 years - the wife made me move house before I could have it though! 😆

Now the universe is conspiring against me with this DD Aquascaper debacle - so its back to the back of the queue at Aquariums 4 Life - ETA end of July early August.



Courtneybst said:


> I didn't realise Pro Shrimp had a physical shop!



Yeah, it more a public access warehouse, but they have a lot of stock. Lots of plants, and you can cherry pick the best ones, in amongst all the crap ones that haven’t been stored so well.


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## Courtneybst (12 Jun 2022)

After a bit of a drawn out delivery I finally got my new lights for the rescape! I went with the Chihiros WRGB II Slim 120cm for a few reasons;
1. I prefer single candy bar lights rather than two smaller units on big tanks.
2. It was cheap.
3. I think the WRGB slim is quite aesthetically pleasing.
4. I won't be growing anything too demanding so although the WRGB II would have been more future proof, this should be more than suitable? One hopes lol.

I used the Photone app to test the PAR and it was reading 156 at the bottom of the tank in the centre, 55cm from the light unit, without water. I don't know how much water will reduce this but I figured even if it's 50% less (78 PAR) that's fine for me, considering it's right at the bottom of the tank! Most of the plants will be at least halfway up.


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## Deano3 (14 Jun 2022)

Wookii said:


> Nice find! The older Evolution Aqua version of the Aquascaper tanks are definitely the way to go if you like the invisible silicone seams. I recently took delivery of a 1500 of the newer DD version, and had to send it back. The silicone work was like something from 20 years ago, with a massive thick bead down the inside corners, and a 10mm overlap on the front glass:
> 
> View attachment 189627
> 
> ...


Wow that silicone work is terrible 😳  thats shocking


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## Deano3 (14 Jun 2022)

Courtneybst said:


> After a bit of a drawn out delivery I finally got my new lights for the rescape! I went with the Chihiros WRGB II Slim 120cm for a few reasons;
> 1. I prefer single candy bar lights rather than two smaller units on big tanks.
> 2. It was cheap.
> 3. I think the WRGB slim is quite aesthetically pleasing.
> ...


Cant wait for this i am thinking i now want a larger tank now , maybe a 120cm 😅 as @Wookii  said i would have to move house , currently mine is sold just seeing if anything comes up 🤔 cant wait to follow along @Courtneybst


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## Courtneybst (14 Jun 2022)

Deano3 said:


> Cant wait for this i am thinking i now want a larger tank now , maybe a 120cm 😅 as @Wookii  said i would have to move house , currently mine is sold just seeing if anything comes up 🤔 cant wait to follow along @Courtneybst


Thanks Deano!

As much as I love smaller tanks for their ease of maintenance and ability to rescape, I wouldn't be without at least one big display tank. You can't beat it! After 18 months my current setup is quite stable and it's a shame to take it down but I've learnt a lot since then, so it's time to get sexy.


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## NatalieHurrell (16 Jun 2022)

Wookii said:


> but I stumbled across a couple of massive pieces of corbo root when I visited Proshrimp that’ll I’ll be using in the new tank, that - as you say - just sit there and speak for themselves, no


Love corbo.  All the pieces I've seen have natural holes and caves in them, perfect for stuffing epiphytes into!


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## Wookii (17 Jun 2022)

NatalieHurrell said:


> Love corbo.  All the pieces I've seen have natural holes and caves in them, perfect for stuffing epiphytes into!



Yeah I like it too, though it can be tricky to find the right looking pieces. A lot of them are a bit OTT and have too many branches coming out, or are too thick on the trunk, and can look a bit unnatural when plonked in the aquarium. 

I actually popped over to Proshrimp again on Friday to pick up a small tank to use as a QT tank, and they had another nice piece of thin corbo root lying down that looked like a fallen branch, so I grabbed that too. I'm starting to wonder whether hardscape addiction could actually be a medical condition!


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## Courtneybst (17 Jun 2022)

Wookii said:


> hardscape addiction could actually be a medical condition!


Yes.


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## Courtneybst (26 Jun 2022)

I'd like to have shown the progression of this new scape, but truth be told I couldn't do much until the old one was taken down (which only happened the day before!).

*A pound of flesh*
The beginning of the day required sheer muscle and brain power - all your credentials were worthless at this point. How much mass can you move??!

@shangman  and @i.am.adonis  helped me move my old (not even fully drained lol) tank and swap it with the new one before the sexy bit started. It took some fandangling and a solid Thai lunch, but we got there!

We had a few plays with the hardscape but the first arrangement was the clear favourite. One thing I love about aquascaping is that you can practice until the cows come home but nothing is more valuable than going with the energy you feel on the day. The new position is much nicer than the original plan in my opinion! I guess that's also the beauty of being forced to wait 3 weeks to scape.




It's a mix of 'bog wood' and Galapagos Rock from Riverwood Aquatics/Maidenhead Aquatics, Druid stone from WIO and speckled sand (which I actually really love and think is underrated) from Maidenhead Aquatics.





*More is more.*
My intention for this scape was to not buy any new plants and reuse my old ones but in a more purposeful way to the Tidy Jungle II. In the end I only bought 3 new plants (Ludwigia ovalis, Lilaeopsis brasilliensis and floating plants). The rest are all reincarnations.

We were definitely not _short_ of plants by any means. Microsorum 'Needle Leaf' in particular was growing like a weed in my old tank and borderline invasive. There was enough plants to plant a tank twice this size, which explains my CO2 consumption as of late!





We started planting with the intention that all the things I had acquired over time will get a deliberate and considered position in the tank, where they could show off their beauty. Some examples; Cryptocoryne nurii 'Rosen Maiden', Cryptocoryne spiralis 'Tiger' and 'Red', Barclaya longifolia... just to name a few.




One thing this wood was really great for is the many holes and crevices. It is perfect for wedging plants into since I wanted minimal super glue used. Hopefully that will have a positive impact on the mature appearance, with plants growing mainly in spaces they'd be able to naturally.

*Bring the rains!*




Now there's water in this tank, the initial graft begins. Thankfully I'm mostly off this week so I can be attentive, but also rest and be creative again. I've have had a few terrarium project in mind for weeks that I've just not had time for. Anyway, as you can see there's a fair bit of tint! Carbon is now in the filter and the water changes will help dilute this further, as well as the ammonia.

I'm also convinced that this style of tank allows for nicer photos. Even using my camera felt different - the photos just looked much nicer. Here's some more...


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## Hufsa (27 Jun 2022)

Oh my god! I havent been this excited about a tank layout in a long long time 😍
Absolutely awesome, and I love the negative space under the arch

If your tank goes missing I didn't have anything to do with it


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## Courtneybst (27 Jun 2022)

Hufsa said:


> Oh my god! I havent been this excited about a tank layout in a long long time 😍
> Absolutely awesome, and I love the negative space under the arch
> 
> If your tank goes missing I didn't have anything to do with it


Thank you @Hufsa !!

This definitely feels like my kind of hardscape. Obnoxiously bold but pretty and functional haha. You can bet your bottom dollar the the glass catfish will head *straight* for that archway and hang there. I can't wait to see the community gatherings that take place there and all the fish sifting away in the sand! I'm gonna do my best to keep the area clear.

You can't see it in the pictures, but this is what the room looks like when lights are out, for that very reason...


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## Courtneybst (4 Jul 2022)

*Water Under the Bridge*
It's been 9 days since the tank was setup and I'm appreciating it but can't help feel slightly on edge...😅





First off what a massive difference it makes having a tank of this size rimless and low iron. It's made a big impact on the space and I love rimless because it encourages you to get your arms wet more often!

I had really bad melt across the trident fern and mini bolbitis so I've cut most of the leaves off and will just have to play the long game with those. The windelov melted a bit but wasn't totally wrecked. Interestingly, the Microsorum needle leaf... totally unphased.




There's also been a bit of melt on some of the Cryptocoryne but really not bad at all, considering the way crypts can melt if blahblahblahblah ain't right! Unfortunately, in the rescape chaos I lost track of where I put my pink flamingo since it all turned green in storage. I think it's in there somewhere but no idea where! I may look at getting another...

All the fish and shrimp are now back in and are loving their new crib. The 'place to be' is right under the archway - that's where all the cool fish hang. 😎




I'm suspicious of the lack of diatoms and wood fungus. I know it's early days and they could still come but right now I'm enjoying the pristine-ness of it all.

This light also makes everything pop much more than the T5 ever did. The fish and plants are WHAM in your face.


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## dw1305 (4 Jul 2022)

Hi all,


Courtneybst said:


> All the fish and shrimp are now back in and are loving their new crib. The 'place to be' is right under the archway - that's where all the cool fish hang. 😎


Assuming you are using CO2? Looking at the gill colour on the Loach I might dial the CO2 down a bit and see if it becomes less contrasty or the fish become more active.

cheers Darrel


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## Courtneybst (4 Jul 2022)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Assuming you are using CO2? Looking at the gill colour on the Loach I might dial the CO2 down a bit and see if it becomes less contrasty or the fish become more active.
> 
> cheers Darrel


Hey Darrel, 

Do you think it looks inflamed? I know the Chihiros lights really oversaturate anything on the red/orange spectrum but I hadn't noticed the gills until you mentioned it. Maybe it is high. The loaches are still very active however.


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## Deano3 (5 Jul 2022)

Love the scape and the negative space, looks like a nice easy to maintain and high impact layout well done @Courtneybst 👏 , i currhave a 90cm but we talking about changing living room around and i think i would have to down size😬 a 60cm or so would look tiny to me after having this for so long  are you loving the size of the tank ?

Thanks dean


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## Courtneybst (5 Jul 2022)

Deano3 said:


> Love the scape and the negative space, looks like a nice easy to maintain and high impact layout well done @Courtneybst 👏 , i currhave a 90cm but we talking about changing living room around and i think i would have to down size😬 a 60cm or so would look tiny to me after having this for so long  are you loving the size of the tank ?
> 
> Thanks dean


Thanks Dean!

So far it looks it will be fairly easy to maintain. My main job will be hoovering detritus from the many pockets and crevices and keeping the sand _under_ the wood clean. I was thinking to get a hang on filter for that + moss trimming but I think I'll use my Filtosmart 100 until it gets tedious 😅.

I mean, needs must but I wouldn't be without a big tank. It just has a whole different feel compared to smaller tanks. There was a campaign brewing to get a 150cm but that was squashed after seeing the significant price difference! It was MORE than double the price. Plus everything gets more awkward (equipment wise) when you go over 120cm.

This more or less the same size my old tank with some reversed dimensions, but the rimless design can't be beat!

Even with a 60cm, as long as you have some kind of aquarium!


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## Deano3 (5 Jul 2022)

Courtneybst said:


> Thanks Dean!
> 
> So far it looks it will be fairly easy to maintain. My main job will be hoovering detritus from the many pockets and crevices and keeping the sand _under_ the wood clean. I was thinking to get a hang on filter for that + moss trimming but I think I'll use my Filtosmart 100 until it gets tedious 😅.
> 
> ...


Yeah keeping the sand clean will be hard work 😬 but looks great, and i know will have to see but i love the impact and possibilitys of large tank.

Looking Forward to updates
Dean


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## Garuf (7 Jul 2022)

Keeping sand clean is usually down to planning, plugging  and attrition. 

Planning; as few places where sand meets soil without a boundary as possible. 

Plugging all the holes you can see and the ones you find later straight away. 

Attrition with the cleaning, a nano gravel vac going over it once a week and then the magnet on a stick to pick up the grains shrimp absolutely insist on dragging onto the sand.


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## NatalieHurrell (7 Jul 2022)

Wookii said:


> I'm starting to wonder whether hardscape addiction could actually be a medical condition!


I'm certain it is!  When I go out walking I keep seeing fallen trees and wondering how big a tank I'd need to fit it in!


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## Courtneybst (8 Jul 2022)

*A wave of gratitude*
There's not much to this post in the way of updates, but I'm just grateful that this scape has gotten off to such a good start. The fish seem happy and are already spawning, the plants are starting to grow and the new lighting and form factor makes photography of this tank SO much more enjoyable.

Here's some nice pictures I took of the tank last night.






















Garuf said:


> Keeping sand clean is usually down to planning, plugging  and attrition.
> 
> Planning; as few places where sand meets soil without a boundary as possible.
> 
> ...


Yes I agree! There's actually not even half a bag worth of soil in this scape and it's physically barred by rock and sponge so I'm not worried about soil mixing. More so, just the waste that gathers in the 'dead spot' under the wood.

The corydoras seem to do a good job of keeping the sand turned over at the front. I'm hoping that because my lighting isn't strong I won't need to replace the sand. In my IAPLC tank the lighting over the sand was low so I never replaced any of it for the whole 9 months it was setup!


NatalieHurrell said:


> I'm certain it is!  When I go out walking I keep seeing fallen trees and wondering how big a tank I'd need to fit it in!


I do exactly the same thing 😅


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## Garuf (8 Jul 2022)

You shouldn’t need to replace the sand if you mechanically turn it over yourself, be it gravel vac or hand. Ime even large Corys in my observation rarely disturb more than the top Mm. 

Sand will darken, but if it’s kept clean and turned over, you would only need to change it for aesthetics.


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## ScareCrow (8 Jul 2022)

Garuf said:


> Ime even large Corys in my observation rarely disturb more than the top Mm.


When I feed grindal worms my corys and kuhlis give it their all to hit the bottom of the tank. The corys often get up to their dorsal fin, which is probably 10-15mm.


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## Garuf (8 Jul 2022)

ScareCrow said:


> When I feed grindal worms my corys and kuhlis give it their all to hit the bottom of the tank. The corys often get up to their dorsal fin, which is probably 10-15mm.


Those I’ve seen must lack motivation.


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## Courtneybst (8 Jul 2022)

Garuf said:


> You shouldn’t need to replace the sand if you mechanically turn it over yourself, be it gravel vac or hand. Ime even large Corys in my observation rarely disturb more than the top Mm.
> 
> Sand will darken, but if it’s kept clean and turned over, you would only need to change it for aesthetics.


The deepest bit of sand is an inch at most! I had my sanity in mind when doing this scape.😅


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## Courtneybst (25 Aug 2022)

*Oh really...*
A small update for today. The scape is ticking over nicely. The established media and plants clearly helped in the early stages because there was no obvious sign of any diatoms and I only suffered a little bit of plant melt.




One thing I've realised is the the plants lower down (including the beloved ferns) aren't getting enough light which explains why they kept getting uprooted even after 2+ months. I have raised the light slightly but have also increased the intensity to 100% to see if that helps. I'll see how that goes but I honestly think it might still be inadequate and I may have to upgrade to a WRGB II or vivids (yikes).




I have added an AI Nero 3 to the right side to help with water movement as I noticed detritus was settling on the plants furthest to the left. It works well but I'm waiting to find a guard for it before I run it 24/7 as it looks to be a bit of a fish vacuum! Nobody was harmed during this discovery!




I've removed all of the floating plants. I feel they've more than served their purpose now and I want the bucephalandra that's just under the water surface to shine. The floating plants also kept getting stuck in the skimmer which was annoying.




The Gold Tetras that were in my contest tank are now in this scape after enduring two months in a bucket with the black cherry shrimp (sorry!). They've really come to life being around the other fish. They school and eat well, appear to be much less skittish and they glow in the slightly tinted water. I almost tempted to get more. 👀

On a recent visit to Maidenhead Aquatics I also picked up 3 GIANT otocinclus. They're so big it's actually a bit comical, they're easily the biggest fish in the tank. I saw them and just had to. You don't come across them every day!




The Laetacara have attempted to spawn several times but are most likely eating the eggs because there's too much going on in the tank. The apistos keep at it as per usual.

I also really really want a light screen for this tank. I've got them on my other tank and it just makes things pop. It would cost almost the same price as the tank for a 120p so I might have to DIY. Can I be bothered though? Not really. 🙃

Other than that, there's not much else going on. Things are steady.


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## plantnoobdude (25 Aug 2022)

Courtneybst said:


> honestly think it might still be inadequate and I may have to upgrade to a WRGB II or vivids


Lower the light distance to substrate? Because of how light behaves, a small decrease in distance can be a relatively large increase in intensity. Tank looks lovely by the way!


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## Wookii (25 Aug 2022)

Courtneybst said:


> I have added an AI Nero 3 to the right side to help with water movement . . .  it looks to be a bit of a fish vacuum!



The AI Nero 3’s are a superb stream pump, but you’re right in your thinking - they are a fish and shrimp blender!

You can get good 3D printed guards off FleaBay:









						3D Printed AI Nero 3 Cone Anemone Guard ABS Aqua Illumination Nero3  | eBay
					

This mounts along with your magnet on the wall of your aquarium and your pump slides into the cradle. This covers the intake side to keep small fish, anemones and other animals from the impeller. The magnet portion is a tight friction fit, whereas the pump has a small amount of room around it to...



					www.ebay.co.uk
				




They’re from the US though, so postage hurts - unless you can convince @LondonDragon to print you one 😉


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## LondonDragon (25 Aug 2022)

Wookii said:


> They’re from the US though, so postage hurts - unless you can convince @LondonDragon to print you one 😉


I actually managed to find the file, so if you want it let me know 





Ready to go!

Edit: just found a low profile version too!


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## Courtneybst (25 Aug 2022)

plantnoobdude said:


> Lower the light distance to substrate? Because of how light behaves, a small decrease in distance can be a relatively large increase in intensity. Tank looks lovely by the way!


I originally had them lower but it really killed the light spread and the buce started to develop a bit of BBA. The light level at the substrate was pitiful. I might lower it a little bit again and see if I can find a middle ground. Ultimately I'll have to wait to see how the plants respond, and most of my plants are slow growing!


Wookii said:


> The AI Nero 3’s are a superb stream pump, but you’re right in your thinking - they are a fish and shrimp blender!


Yeah! I think your tank was the first time I saw it used in a freshwater setup. It took a long long time to get hold of but I'm glad I got it, especially now they've gone UP in price. My plan is to run it at low speed 24/7 to aid with CO2 circulation and then maybe 5 minutes before the lights are out run it on a high speed to clear off detritus settling on leaves and then back to low speed. I'm thinking this should be useful?



LondonDragon said:


> Edit: just found a low profile version too!


Ooooo yes please! I didn't even think about this. I don't trust running it without the guard and mine didn't come with one. 🙃


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## LondonDragon (25 Aug 2022)

Courtneybst said:


> Ooooo yes please! I didn't even think about this. I don't trust running it without the guard and mine didn't come with one. 🙃


I will print it tomorrow and let you know to post on Saturday


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## Wookii (26 Aug 2022)

LondonDragon said:


> Edit: just found a low profile version too!





Courtneybst said:


> Ooooo yes please!



I'd recommend you go for the cone one guys. Because the Nero 3 is so low profile, the forward force of the pump creates a really strong vacuum effect on the rear. The first style of guard I tried on mine was a low profile one, but shrimp (and one fish) that got too close to the sides, got sucked against it and couldn't get away. The cone shaped one, is that shape for that exact reason, it allows enough space at the rear between the Nero and the guard that the suction effect is reduced.

Also @LondonDragon - just make sure your printing pattern is for the Nero 3, as a lot of the 3D printed guards for sale are for the larger Nero 5.



Courtneybst said:


> My plan is to run it at low speed 24/7 to aid with CO2 circulation and then maybe 5 minutes before the lights are out run it on a high speed to clear off detritus settling on leaves and then back to low speed. I'm thinking this should be useful?



The world is your oyster - the AI app allows loads of configuration options. From memory I think I used the lagoon function which creates a slow variability in the pump speed to simulate a randomised ebb and flow of gentle waves in a lagoon - quite good for CO2 distribution I thought, as you get occasional higher power circulation to push water through any slower moving spots without having the tank constantly like a washing machine.


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## Courtneybst (26 Aug 2022)

Wookii said:


> without having the tank constantly like a washing machine.


Speaking of which, I can't understand why it's programmed to come on at 100% when you start it up. I had water gushing out over the sides of the tank whilst I tried to block the flow with one hand and attempt to turn it off with the other. 🙃 Why wouldn't you start it at 1%?


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## Wookii (26 Aug 2022)

Courtneybst said:


> Speaking of which, I can't understand why it's programmed to come on at 100% when you start it up. I had water gushing out over the sides of the tank whilst I tried to block the flow with one hand and attempt to turn it off with the other. 🙃 Why wouldn't you start it at 1%?



No idea lol - I always test new pumps and stuff in the sink before they hit the tank, so I probably dialled it down at that point. It's quite amazing how much water it pushes through for its tiny size! I did contact AI when I bought mine, and asked if they had any plans to make a smaller 'Nero 1', as even 50% of the output of the Nero 3 is more than enough for most tanks, so an even more miniature form factor would be even better for a planted tank.


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## LondonDragon (26 Aug 2022)

Wookii said:


> Also @LondonDragon - just make sure your printing pattern is for the Nero 3, as a lot of the 3D printed guards for sale are for the larger Nero 5.


The file names do say Nero 3  I guess Courtney will find out when he receives it  worst case scenario is less than an hour of printing time!


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## LondonDragon (26 Aug 2022)

Wookii said:


> I'd recommend you go for the cone one guys. Because the Nero 3 is so low profile,


Forgot to mention I printed both so he can decide what works best!


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## Courtneybst (26 Aug 2022)

LondonDragon said:


> Forgot to mention I printed both so he can decide what works best!


This guy, is the MVP.


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## Libba (27 Aug 2022)

I absolutely blahblahblahblahing love this tank


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## Courtneybst (9 Nov 2022)

*Journey to Stability*
Just a small update as I continue traversing the long road to stability. 





It's been just over 4 months since this tank was setup and things are mostly good. The lighting isn't strong so things grow relatively slowly (with the exception of Microsorum needle leaf!). It's almost like a low tech tank but with CO2 for an extra boost. 




A couple of months ago I discovered a tiny Barclaya longifolia bulb that I thought had long vanished, and so I placed it right in the front so I could keep an eye on it and see if it would grow. Grow it did! It's coming up really nicely despite the relatively low lighting and inert substrate, and it's actually maintaining colour this time. Funny how that works...




In recent weeks I've been paying more attention to the emersed growth and expanding the plant diversity there in order to enhance the jungly effect. Now that it's getting thicker, it's easier to just tuck things in at the water line and let the roots grow down. I've been adding different plants here and there and it's really starting to look nice - the Tradescantia fluminensis especially does much better growing in water compared to soil and I'm sure this is all doing favours for water quality. My one wish is to install an auto top off on this tank because a more consistent water level would make maintaining the emersed section easier. 




The fish are all gravy too. I've not noticed any deaths in the last few months and squabbling is at a minimum. I've been thinking about adding some cherry barbs as I knew the males got nicely red but I was shocked to see just how red they can get in the LFS, and these were under basic shop lights so they will probably look like rubies under the Chihiros. If not, I had also thought about Hexazona barbs or even Pearl Gouramis, although the gouramis might irritate the population of black Neocaridina that are living in the canopy.




_Still_ haven't cleaned the lily pipes.


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## Wookii (9 Nov 2022)

Absolutely gorgeous! The 'bridge' of wood is a stroke of genius, if gives the appearance of heavy jungle planting, whilst still maintaining a lot of open sand area. I love the emersed growth too, I'm going to have to have a stab at that on my new tank.

That Barclaya longifolia looks fantastic too, I'll have to look out for one of those! Have you planted your other lilies as epiphytes on the wood?


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## Courtneybst (9 Nov 2022)

Wookii said:


> Absolutely gorgeous! The 'bridge' of wood is a stroke of genius, if gives the appearance of heavy jungle planting, whilst still maintaining a lot of open sand area. I love the emersed growth too, I'm going to have to have a stab at that on my new tank.
> 
> That Barclaya longifolia looks fantastic too, I'll have to look out for one of those! Have you planted your other lilies as epiphytes on the wood?


Thank you mate!

I'm really glad the ferns on the bridge have grown back because at one point I was doubtful. It looks quite homogeneous from a distance but there's actually about 4 different types of microsorum mixed in there and some bolbitis. The fish almost exclusively stay underneath it and pretty much only come out for food or when the lights are starting to dim. The sand part was also really important for me as in the last tank, whilst there was enough space, there was very very little substrate for grazing. 

Definitely take a shot at the emersed growth! It creates a whole extra cool dimension to the scape and is functional too.

I got the Barclaya at Wildwoods Enfield. Every time I've been there since I've seen one so there's a good chance you could get one if it's accessible to you.

This time I planted the zenkeri and micrantha in a mesh filter bag of aquasoil and the helvola is in soil at the back.


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