# EA600 high tech jungle, fingers crossed!



## Harry H (14 Oct 2018)

Hello,

First, I would like to say a thank you to all of you for sharing your experiences and knowledge. I would not be able to attempt to have a high tech tank if I haven't found this forum. I have read a lot, seen inspiring tanks and layouts in here, I hope some of that sticks in and helps me along the journey.

*Hardware*
Evolution Aqua 600
Kessil A160WE Tuna Sun
Eheim Pro 4+ 250
Pressurised CO2

*Hardscape*
Prodibio AquaGrowth Soil
JBL Sansibar River Sand
Mini landscape rock
Wood (not sure what type it is)

*Flora*
Rotala rotundifolia
Limnophila sessiliflore
Cryptocoryne becketti petchii
Cryptocoryne wenditii tropica
Cryptocoryne undulatus
Cryptocoryne crispatula
Microsorum pteropus narrow
Hygrophila pinnatifida
Lobelia cardinalis
Sagittaria subulata
Anubias petite,
Anubias barteri nana 
Bucephalandra sp. 'Red'
Staurogyne Repens Tissue Culture - Tropica 1-2 Grow
Alternanthera Reineckii ''Mini' Tissue Culture - Tropica 1-2 Grow
Taxiphyllum baebieri Tissue Culture - Tropica 1-2 Grow

*Fauna*
To be decided yet, but I like green neons, and I want a feature fish or two, maybe a blue ram pair? not sure

*Routine*
CO2 @ 2 bubbles a sec, 24/7 first week (trying to take advantage of not having any fish atm)
EI dosing, macro micro alternating days, using starter kit, 18ml of the mix, as it says on the leaflet
2ml daily EasyCarbo
6 hours light on 50% intensity and colour (too much?)
50% water change first week every other day, then every 3 days next two weeks etc...

*Day 2, after first water change



 


 

 

 

 

 

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## DutchMuch (15 Oct 2018)

looking good


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## Jayefc1 (15 Oct 2018)

Looks nice Harry


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## Edvet (15 Oct 2018)

I would advise a pH profile, the only ''real'' way to see if the CO2 functions good.
Compare it with the pH from a glas of water you took out half a day ago.


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## Harry H (15 Oct 2018)

Edvet said:


> I would advise a pH profile, the only ''real'' way to see if the CO2 functions good.
> Compare it with the pH from a glas of water you took out half a day ago.



@Edvet, yes, I would like to do a profile, I dont currently have a pH pen, not sure if it is worth doing the profile with API pH kit? I have low and high pH strip tests, do you think it is worth giving it a try without a test pen?


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## Lee iley (15 Oct 2018)

Looks very nice.


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## Edvet (15 Oct 2018)

If you want to do high tech i will always advice an electronic pH device. Keep checking pH over longer time when plantmass increases.


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## greenink (18 Oct 2018)

This looks great. Am about to start something very similar so will be following with interest. Agree about the PH pen or a PH monitor. Though a drop checker works just as well if you're vigilant!

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## Harry H (21 Oct 2018)

*Day 9*
Added some smaller stones in front, removed a stone on LH as it was blocking the flow, had very little melt on crypts so far, stems growing fast. Replaced glass diffuser with a small bazooka, much smaller bubbles. Also removed the fern in the middle, will get some trident fern from AG. Bought a smart Wi-Fi surge protector, now I can control and schedule everything using my phone. Changing water every other day, dosing schedule and bubbles as before.


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## Zeus. (22 Oct 2018)

Great start very impressed 

I would second what Edvet surgesting about the pH profile. Your in the golden window with no livestock so getting the CO2 right with the aid of a DC and pH pen or pH test strips will pay of long term.
I would keep turning the BPS up till the DC turns yellowish/green then turn it down a bit. Check if the pH is stable when lights are on note the target pH. Then after a full night to degas see how long it takes to reach the target pH 2-3hrs is about normal then you have your CO2 pre lights on time

I use a CO2 bazooka in my 50l and I have it placed so that the bubbles rise into the output jet of water from the Ehiem Skim, works well for me with the bubbles being jetted to the other side of tank and lots go right down to the bottom of tank.

The Ehiem Skim can be an Otto/shrimp trap do use the Green mesh which Dave at Aquarium Gardens uses and it works well.


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## Jayefc1 (22 Oct 2018)

Looks really nice mate


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## Harry H (29 Oct 2018)

*Day 17*

Slight adjustment in tank, removed LH side big stone, the plants behind it were melting, I removed Alternanthera completely as well, I might give it another go after the tank is matured more, I do want some redness in focal point. Everything seems to be growing alright. Added some Christmas Moss from other tank too. Sticking with the same schedule, EI dosing macro and micro on alternate days, CO2 running 24/7, drop checker yellowish green. I will order a Hanna pH pen this week.


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## J@mes (29 Oct 2018)

Nice! That Rotala is growing strong, love the fresh green look of it.


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## TBRO (29 Oct 2018)

Looking really nice, seems much bigger than 60 cm long. T


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## Jayefc1 (30 Oct 2018)

Looks good bro really clean and crisp too


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## Lee iley (30 Oct 2018)

Looks very nice and crisp. Well done.


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## Barbara Turner (31 Oct 2018)

I can't see a co2 drop checker in your photos. There not desperately accurate and take a hour so to respond but I wouldnt try a high tech setup without one.
They provide a great quick check, For example when I got back from work yesterday I noticed that it was a darker green than normal.. Checked and the co2 bottle is empty.

On the same note also keep spares co2 bottles, I've got 4 - 2kg fire extinguishers.

Ps tank looks great, you've done a great job scapeing it


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## Harry H (31 Oct 2018)

Barbara Turner said:


> I can't see a co2 drop checker in your photos. There not desperately accurate and take a hour so to respond but I wouldnt try a high tech setup without one.



I have a drop checker, RH back corner, you can see its reflection just under the lilly pipe.



Barbara Turner said:


> On the same note also keep spares co2 bottles, I've got 4 - 2kg fire extinguishers.



I have a spare full one ready, waiting its turn in the garage.



Barbara Turner said:


> Ps tank looks great, you've done a great job scapeing it



Thank you!


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## Harry H (26 Nov 2018)

*Week 7
*
Down to twice a week water changes, CO2 comes on 3 hours before lights on, turns off 1 hour before lights off. Kessil Tuna Sun on full power. Drop checker light green. Added 8 amanos and 4 otos two weeks ago, and added 6 red eye tetras last weekend. Plants are slowly filling in, I had to remove some Sagittaria subulata to make some space for crypts to grow. Added a large Anubias Nana in the middle of the wood, it is growing surprisingly quick.

I decided to try making a short video, not the best, better next time hopefully


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## TBRO (26 Nov 2018)

Looks great, amazing how a little movement changes the feel of a scape. Nice work. T


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## Harry H (26 Dec 2018)

*Week 10
*
Started getting some hair algae on front LH side, near the bazooka, removing leaves with algae, scraping the stones. I think it is under control, thinking of getting a twinstar sterilizer, or just an air stone maybe. I d9nt know enough about sterilizer, need to look into it. The red eye tetras turned out to be quite suicidal, 3 left from original 6, and saved couple as well. They are crazy, darting out of water for some reason, flying across the room. Added 3 gourami, a dwarf, a honey and a red, I love them. Lost one amano as well, he was a jumper too. I decided I will not have any moss on the wood next scape, takes hours to siphon afterwards, there must be an easy way. Overall, going ok, weekly water changes now. Even wife brags about our fish tank to her friends.


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## Daveslaney (26 Dec 2018)

Really nice. Well done.


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## aquacoen (27 Dec 2018)

Great looking tank!!


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## Ady34 (27 Dec 2018)

Yep I agree, really nice scape and the wife does right bragging about it 
Shame about the fish, some species are more prone to jumping and amanos do tend to wander if the water level is high.


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## Harry H (27 Jan 2019)

*Week 14
*
I had some more algae issues, had to remove worst effected crypts, scrubbed some stones, lowered the light intensity and upped the CO2. Seems like it is settling in, manage to have about 1 point drop in last two pH profiles. I added a Chihiros Doctor, thanks to @MattDear, hope that will help to control algae and added some bolbitis from @Kezzab, thanks.

Unfortunately lost the dwarf gourami, and another red eye tetra, now only 2 tetra left. Added 2 more honey gourami and I watched the one already in the tank turn darker around the belly! Literally in about 5 mins, it looked like a complete different fish. And tonight, there was some special action in the tank, I thought gouramis make bubble nests, well, they were too busy to make a nest! Shamelessly taken a photo


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## akwarium (28 Jan 2019)

looking good!


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## Harry H (24 Mar 2019)

Some photos after weekly WC. Added 6 green neons, they lifted the whole aquarium, there is much more movement now, amazing little guys. Replaced the dwarf gourami that I lost as well, hope this one lasts. Plants seem to grow ok, I had to move all Sagittaria subulata to right back corner, as some of the leaves are longer than 50cm.


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## Harry H (14 Apr 2019)

Couple of photos after water change. Just replaced bazooka with an inline CO2 art diffuser, should I do another pH profile? I left the bubble count as it is, just about 3bps.


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## Harry H (30 May 2019)

Current state of affairs... 
Started getting the itch to start over with a new scape. Need to plan a trip upto AG for some hardscape soon.


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## Harry H (12 Aug 2019)

Quick phone photo. Got 5 female guppies and 2 Otto's, just to add some movement in the tank after the unfortunate event with the CO2. Lesson learned.


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## Harry H (15 Dec 2019)

Still going...


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## Harry H (8 Mar 2020)

After a haircut and water change. Did not have time  to clean the glass ware. Next week maybe. Bob the Betta passed away, got Bob Jr, this time blue crowntail. My 7 year old insisted full military honours in the garden, Bob now is burried next to the shed. Explosion of cherry shrimp population.


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## Tankless (8 Mar 2020)

What happened to the Twinstar /Chirhors reactor that was at the front?


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## Harry H (8 Mar 2020)

Need a new mesh, I removed it couple of months ago. Not sure if I will be bothered. Tank seems to be quite stable, no algae.


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## CooKieS (8 Mar 2020)

RIP Bob!

‘very nice tank!


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## Harry H (23 Mar 2020)

Anubias flower grown out of tank


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## Tom Michael (24 Mar 2020)

very nice natural looking scape


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## Harry H (6 Jun 2020)

Complete rescape, with different wood but same plants. The wood was in discus tank originally, I swapped them, kept the epis that were on it. New wood is slightly too big for the 600, but I think it would do. Overal, spent no money for rescape, I will get some hairgrass for the front later.  No more sand in front, a bit less hassle 





Also the old wood in discus tank


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