# Tom's Bucket O' Mud - The End



## BigTom

****WARNING**** This journal is likely to contain any, some or all of the following: mud, dirty glass, terrible typing, horrible crawly things, really boring fish, algae, piles of rotting crap, bad photography, drunken ramblings,  non-existent aquascaping, total disaster and complete disregard for all advice given. Also, plant growth and updates are likely to be extremely slow and sporadic. Read on at your peril!

OK, so I got that out the way  

Herein lies my attempt to create a self-sustaining, ultra-low maintenance, sort of riparium tank which I can leave for 6 weeks at a time every few months while I'm on fieldwork without worrying about getting people to do anything other than chuck some more water in occaisionally.

Tank:
90x30x90  (240ish litres) shallow, square, lidless tank with terrible siliconing.
Stand is a pile of old wooden pallets with a blanket thrown over.

Lighting:
70W MH security light about 2' over the tank, 10-14 hours a day.

Substrate:
John Innes compost capped with play sand

Hardscape:
Some rocks
Fired heather collected from the pentlands

Flora:
Experimenting with various things, currently -
Parlour Palm
Prayer Plant
Blyxa aubertii
E. vesuvious
H. verticillata
Glosso
Bolbitis
M. pteropus 'trident'
Juncus repens
Cyperus helferi
Cyperus alternifolius


Fauna:
Currently - cherry shrimp, Daphnia magna  and any number of weird slimy things
Planned - more slimey things, and a group of either licorice gouramis or badis. Possibly Hara jerdoni and some sort of micro rasbora, depending on how the food chain holds up.

Dosing regime: Nothing

Feeding regime: Occaisional handful of beech leaves

Setting up:
So I basically chucked the substrate in, plus some bewildered houseplants from homebase and some very sad looking aquatic plants that had got lost for a week in the snow, filled with water and went away for 3 weeks. Came back expecting some sort of horror show but was rewarded with a mere smattering of green and brown algae on the glass and some hydrocotyle that had actually managed to grow a bit. Hydrocotyle is now automatically my favourite aquarium plant!

Have now replaced frost-bitten plants with a fairly random assortment of others, just to see what will do well. A large amount of mud has settled out of the water, I've left it where it is for now because I'm considering a bit of a rescape and various other upheavals.

Added 50ish cherry shrimp and a small pot of Daphnia, both of which are now happily breeding away, thanks to the beatifully green water   

Here is a mysterious and flaw-hidingly underexposed sneak preview - much will change in the coming weeks, so don't get too attached!


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## chump54

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud*

looking forward to seeing how this one turns out... inspiring idea... picture looks good.

so no flow/filter?

I use heather wood too... good/cheap/local alternative wood 

Chris


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud*

Currently no filter, I do have a koralia powerhead in there which I turn on every now and then to break up the surface biofilm, will probably convert it to a mattenfilter when it's ready for fish.


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud*

Noticed an interesting thing actually. The water only turns green when I leave the light _off_ during the day. The daphnia only swim up to feed during daylight, so it seems that even ambient light is enough for the algae in the water to multiply but it generally goes unnoticed as its quickly consumed by the daphnia.


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## a1Matt

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud*

Glad to see a journal up for this Tom.
I'll be following how it is going


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud*

Got a bit of a question about flow.

In a non-injected shallow tank (about 25cm water), would I get better co2 levels having a surface ripple to keep it in equilibrium with the air, or keep the flow deeper so that co2 generated from stuff decomposing doesn't escape? Suspect this may vary according to whats in the tank, but opinions welcome.


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud*

Well, things are coming along, it's about 3/4 planted and is looking pretty lush, bar the foreground. The glosso is spreading but incredibly slowly (1 pair of new leaves per plantlet per week!). I'll give it a month or so and see how it looks, might swap it for something that does better in low light though.

Some quick snaps of the progress:

http://imageshack.com/a/img538/1478/xQuAyA.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img538/3040/Tb8USa.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img537/5337/CvCtbF.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img673/2089/3JuedR.jpg


Had a bit of a distaster on the livestock front - was moving around the emergent plants and the shrimp suddenly went mental - total lack of motor control, violent jumping movements and rapid death. Lost 90% of the shrimp and 99% of the daphnia in the tank in the time it took to do a 90% water change.  At the moment I'm suspicious of one of the plants releasing toxins if I  broke some roots or something, but I'm really not sure. Don't want to restock until I've narrowed it down and removed the culprit (the large prayer plant is no. 1 suspect at the moment). Plenty of other microfauna seems to have survived though.


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## George Farmer

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud*

Wow!  Despite the brilliant disclaimer at the start, this looks great!

The wood in particular is very well done - unique but natural at the same time.  Rare to see these days.

The emergent growth is spectacular.  Can you list the species, please?

Sorry for the loss of you livestock. 

I really look forward to following this.


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## LondonDragon

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud*

Now that look great Tom, love what you did with the tank!!! Any chance of a video? Cheers and great work


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## StevenA

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud*

Absolutely love this Tom, great idea, something a bit different from the norm   Looking forward to its progress.


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## Gfish

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud*

Your emersed growth is amazing! And I'm loving the scape too. Very unusual and reminds me of a desert scene or an end of the world movie scene. Bizarrely! 

Tell us your emersed growth secrets please


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud*

Thanks very much for the comments, feels good to have some positivity after the shrimp bit the dust.

As for the emergent plants, you'll all be very impressed to hear they're from somewhere as exotic as homebase! Can't be accurate with species as they don't lable them beyond 'foliage plants', but there's a large prayer plant (Calathea sp.), parlour palm (Chamaedorea elegans), peace lilles (Spathiphyllum  sp.), and the other large lilly in the third pic which I've been unable to identify (haven't tried really!). They're slowly adjusting to being rooted in water, some better than others - the prayer plant has completely switched to submersed roots after a few weeks, the parlour palm is taking much longer and had a bit of a die-off but seems to have stabilised now. The others are more recent additions, yet to see how they cope. All planted in shower caddies with hydroton.

Oh, and the emergent sword in the centre is an echinodorus motherplant froma java plants, it was supposed to be Echinodorus cordifolius 'marble queen' but I think they sent something else in the end, which is a bit annoying. It's a decent size though.

LD, afraid I'm lacking easy video capabilities at the mo, but when its closer to being 'finished' I'll endeavour to capture something using webcam and laptop.


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## Gfish

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud*

Tom

Do you have any pics of the shower caddies and hydroton being used?

If you've lost that many shrimp I'm sure as long as some remain it won't be very long until you have a tank full once again. 

Have your homebase plants grown in height or filled out since planting in water? And is your water surface very disturbed or calm?

************* I see you asked the question a few posts back and didn't get a reply, but I'm curious on that one too. With a non CO2 tank is it best to really agitate the surface to utilise CO2 from the air or is it best to leave the surface unbroken and use what CO2 there is in the tank as well as this stuff they call rubisco that the plants will produce to make up for lack of CO2 available?***************

If the emergent plants prefer calmer water, which I've read elsewhere, that might be your decider on this. And if that's the case it may be good to have an airstone or curtain infront of the output to circulate Oxygen.

Cheers

Gavin


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud*

Can get a pic tonight, the caddies are the ones available from amazon in various sizes, I have one of the larger ones and 3 of these - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0014XQC90/r ... nkCode=asn

The hydroton I just got from my local hydroponics shop.

The prayer plant seems to have adapted well and defintely started putting out new growth after about 3 weeks acclimatising. The parlour palm has been less rubust and about 1/4 of the stems died off in the first few weeks. It has stabilised since then and seems to finally be changing root type, but I wouldn't like to say its defintely growing much yet. The others have only been in a few days, so too early to say but both types are known to do OK in ripariums. From what I've read it generally takes a few weeks for even the most well suited houseplants to adapt to riaprium conditions though. Will just have to see long-term how they do.

The general consensus in el natural tanks is to keep the water still to conserve the CO2 produced from the breakdown of organics at substrate level, but I'm not sure it'll really have much effect in a tank with such a huge surface area:volume ratio (9 square feet for around 200L). At the moment I have a gentle ripple to help break up the surface biofilm, but I'm not convinced yet one way or the other re: co2.


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## George Farmer

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud*

This is such a cool journal.

I'm planning a smaller scale set-up like this in the future, and already I have learnt lots!

Keep the updates coming, Tom, please!


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud*

Will do George, glad you're enjoying it. It's quite interesting seeing the tank evolve, already it is very different from how I had envisaged it at the start.


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## George Farmer

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud*



			
				BigTom said:
			
		

> Will do George, glad you're enjoying it. It's quite interesting seeing the tank evolve, already it is very different from how I had envisaged it at the start.


I think that's part of the magic of a planted tank, especially when you're trying out new stuff.

I've never grown emerged plants, so it will be a huge learning curve for me.  Brings back some of the excitement I used to get!

Great to hear so many decent plants available in Homebase and the like.  I will never see these places in the same light again!


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## a1Matt

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud*



			
				BigTom said:
			
		

> The general consensus in el natural tanks is to keep the water still to conserve the CO2 produced from the breakdown of organics at substrate level, but I'm not sure it'll really have much effect in a tank with such a huge surface area:volume ratio (9 square feet for around 200L). At the moment I have a gentle ripple to help break up the surface biofilm, but I'm not convinced yet one way or the other re: co2.



I'm also not convinced. I've tried both and never noticed a difference. So I also go for breaking the surface as it keeps it clear and clean.

In low techs I often find I suffer from crypt melt when I add new plants.  So now when I add new plants I do a heavy trim so that the overall mass stays the same.  No more melt   I mention this as I suspect it is co2 level related. i.e. if the plant mass increases the co2 demand also increases. If this change is gradual (i.e. from plants growing in), the plants can adapt fine.


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## John Starkey

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud*

Hi Tom,i can see your eye for composition in photography has been used very well for this layout,very impressive indeed   ,i love the plants flowing over the top and the wood placement is great,

Superb,
John.


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## Mark Evans

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud*

Hey, BigT!... this is great mate. Extremely inspiring!


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## Celestial

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud*

Tom, it looks amazing! Definately makes me want to go and buy a 90x30x90!  The stand sounds interensting, do you have any pictures?


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud*

Cheers Brendan. No pics of the stand as yet, it's extremely basic - just stack up 3 or 4 pallets, MDF underneath to protect the floor and on top to hold the tank, then a black sheet (actually, duvet cover!) thrown over the top. Could easily clad it instead I guess. Very cheap, very  strong, dismatles when you need to move.


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud*

Well, I'm off tomorrow on fieldwork until mid-April, so the tank gets its first test of zero maintenance soon (my flatmate will top the water up every now and again).

Tank inhabitants all seem happy and are busy reproducing (little do they know!), plants are mostly growing. Had a huge melt from the MM after it went in, around 80% of the leaves vanished, but it has since recovered and is putting out  new ones, although it looks a little straggly still. Will probaly need rpelanting at some point but I'll let it do its thing for now.

Glosso is slowly but surely creeping across the bottom - I give it about 2 more years til I have a full carpet  

The echinodorus has turned into a monster, it's putting out huge new leaves every few days. I may have to invest in some more when I get back.

All the lillies are flowering away and growing well, which is nice. Parlour palm continues to not die!

A couple of FTS for the record (excuse the mulm!) -


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## George Farmer

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 06/03*

Incredible - I love it.  Really inspirational.

I hope the zero maintenance works out for you.

Enjoy your field trip, and I hope you come back to healthy and thriving tank.


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## GHNelson

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 06/03*

Nice one Big Tam  
I like the idea of the peace lilys.....food for thought.
hoggie


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 06/03*

Thanks guys.

Glad you're getting something from it George. Although its quite different in style, a lot of inspiration for this has come from tanks and information I've read on these boards.


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## ghostsword

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 06/03*

Tom, this is a very inspirational tank, and for it a true find, as I am always interested on  shallow tanks with emersed plants. 

How did you get the Echinodorus to adapt to emersed? Did you had to mist it, or just placed it on the tank and hoped for the best?

Great tank, very nice indeed.


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 06/03*

Hi Luis. The echinodorus had been grown emersed so didn't require changing growth form. The lower leaves are shedding as they're now submerged but the new growth seems very healthy so far.


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## ghostsword

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 06/03*

Thanks Tom,

Where did you get the Echinodorus from? I would for sure like to have a go at trying this..


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## twg

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 06/03*

This is one of the most natural scapes I've ever seen


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## LondonDragon

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 06/03*



			
				twg said:
			
		

> This is one of the most natural scapes I've ever seen


I have to agree with this 100% would love to see a video of this tank.


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 06/03*



			
				ghostsword said:
			
		

> Thanks Tom,
> 
> Where did you get the Echinodorus from? I would for sure like to have a go at trying this..



Amazingly enough, it was from Java plants (from their motherplant selection). It was the wrong sort admittedly, and was late, but has turned into a monster so I've forgiven them!



			
				LondonDragon said:
			
		

> twg said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This is one of the most natural scapes I've ever seen
> 
> 
> 
> I have to agree with this 100% would love to see a video of this tank.
Click to expand...


Ta. Will try and get a video up when I get back in April.


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## ghostsword

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 06/03*

If you ever get plantlets of the amazon could you sort me out?  

I will check Java Plants for their mother plant section. 

Many thanks,
Luis


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 06/03*

Sure thing. I shoud probably try and work out what species it is at some point (it was unlabled) - probably just E. cordifolius but not 100%.


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 06/03*

Hurrah! Just got home after nearly 6 weeks and everything isn't dead   

Flatmates decided to go on holiday so water level was down to about  5 inches, but everything bar the juncus repens seems to be alive (although one of the lillies is very wilted, hoping it's going to bounce back). No algae except for green dust on the glass. Emergent echinodorus is now over 2 feet tall!

Bajillions of little shrimp everywhere, microfauna seems to have done very well.

Pics tonight once I've had a bit of a tidy.


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## bigmatt

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 06/03*

This has become one of my "to watch" tanks while you've been away!  Hope the fieldwork was fun and look forward to some pics soon!
Cheers
Matt


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## Gfish

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 06/03*

Tom
Can't wait to see the pics! Glad this trip away proved a reasonable success for the tank. That Echindorus has probably drank the 5 inches of water! 
Gavin


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## Steve Smith

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 06/03*

What an awesome setup!  Is there any filtration on this, or anything moving the water around?  Very interested in the setup of it


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 06/03*



			
				Gfish said:
			
		

> Tom
> Can't wait to see the pics! Glad this trip away proved a reasonable success for the tank. That Echindorus has probably drank the 5 inches of water!
> Gavin





			
				bigmatt said:
			
		

> This has become one of my "to watch" tanks while you've been away!  Hope the fieldwork was fun and look forward to some pics soon!
> Cheers
> Matt



Pics tonight, I hope! 



			
				SteveUK said:
			
		

> What an awesome setup!  Is there any filtration on this, or anything moving the water around?  Very interested in the setup of it



I do have a koralia wrapped in filter sponge moving water slowly, but I don't think it's necessary at all. Water was so low when I got back that I don't think the powerhead had been submerged for at least a week or so anyway.


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 06/03*

Well, here you go -



 

A bit warts-and-all (excuse the plants I'm growing in on the right hand side). Lots of mulm collecting in the middle of the tank, which is looking a bit bare now. Need to give some thought to how to scape that bit. As you can see, the echinodorus is taller than anything else now and is only inches off the light. Might have to start trimming it, which would be a shame. I've straightened it up now, but it was casting a lot of shadow, mainly over the glosso, which is frankly a dead loss. Need to think of something to replace it with, I think.

Juncus repens has all but died, but everything else seems to be doing quite well. The staurogyne is spreading nicely and I wouldn't mind some more, but the lower leaves seem to be turning yellow - lack of light or nutrients do you think?

Microfauna doing well, shrimp have exploded nicely, and seems to be a good collection of arthropods, nematodes and other monsters. Fished out what appeared to be a 1.5" leech, christ knows where that came from!


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## Gfish

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Tom
Everything above the water looks awesome! And beneath it isn't really too far behind I'd say.

That echindorus is a great example of how well these do above water. I hope it inspires many to try emersed growing. So many folk now have open top tanks with lights suspended high. The current Aquascaping hobby is ready for this kind of thing and I hope it takes off like a rocket!

Don't trim that plant! Get yourself a hole in the ceiling sorted out 

Cheers, I still love it!

Gavin


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Aye, the submerged planting needs a little of tweaking, but I think I know where to go with it (bar the 4 square feet of foreground, which has me a bit stumped). Hopefully get it straight in the next few weeks, unless my MOT bankrupts me tomorrow!


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## Steve Smith

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Very nice Tom 

Thought about trying Marsilea hirsuta for foreground?  Might be a slow grower though...


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## bigmatt

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Pelia?  Grows like a weed in my low tech and would soon carpet that!
Still lovin' it!
Matt


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## Gfish

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Tom

Why not go for a walk in the forest or by the river and see if you can find a branch or 2 you can lay in that open area of the tank. 
I think a nice piece of wood with branches breaking through the surface would finish this off nicely. And it could be a 'free' addition 

Are the other emerged plants all from the garden centre? Do you remember what they were? The coloured leaf one in particular?

Cheers

Gavin


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Good suggestions guys, thanks. I think the emergent plants must be stripping almost all the nutrients out of the water column (which is the idea!)... I have some lomariopsis lineata in there already which is growing but very slowly, I wonder if pelia would do any better. Marsilea again I think would be very slow. Might need something with decent roots to get at the soil 1.5" below the sand, or a hardscape solution. Hmm!

Gav, the emergent plants are almost all from homebase/B&Q. As such they're never labelled properly, but the big green/brown is a prayer plant cultivar, and the others are parlour palms, peace lillies and another lilly I can't ID (was labelled 'foliage plant', which isn't very helpful!).  The little things you can see suspended on the right hand side are Cyperus alternifolius, which I'll be planting in the substrate as soon as they're tall enough to reach the surface.


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## Steve Smith

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Crypt Parva carpet?


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## Gfish

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Tom
Are they all planted at the bottom of the tank? Or in baskets near the surface? Did you read up on these particular plants from garden centres or just take a risk on them growing well in this way? I'm sure not all plants they sell would do well, how did you choose???

Had another thought for your open space. How about lots of small swords, low growers with rosette style leaves. 
I once saw an underwater shot from the amazon that had endless beds of echindorus. It looked great!

Cheers


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Gav, all bar the giant echino are planted in shower caddies with hydroton (an idea shamelessly stolen from hydrophyte and others). I basically just took a risk with these as they were really cheap. I knew peace lillies would probably be OK as they are often sold as aquarium plants and can last a month or so underwater, and plants tend to do OK with roots in water if they survive the acclimatisation.

I think either swords or crypts will be the way forward, got any links/names of the ones you're thinking of gav?


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## Steve Smith

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Cryptocoryne Bullosa could be cool too as a carpet   Especially in that size of tank...


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## Gfish

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Tom
I looked into this recently and the obvious one would be E. Aquartica. There's a few others but as the tanks not too deep this one is probably your best bet.
Theres another one called Parviflorus that I quite like the look of too.

Cheers


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Just been for an excellent trip to Outside Inside aquatics, came back with 6 otos (first fish, woo!) and a bunch of plants to fill in the big gap in the middle - E. ozelot 'green', C. nevellii/lucens and C. wendtii 'tropica'. Not that cheap, but I have to say the rootstock on the plants is absolutly top notch and I got really good coverage out of them.

They had some really awesome dwarf orange bumblebee cats (Akysis vespa)  which I was very tempted by, but going to hold off until the gouramis arrive in a couple of weeks and I can get a  feel for how the food chain is going to hold up.

Just spotted a second leech but it vanished into the leaf litter before Icould hook it out. Hope there aren't too many of the blighters.


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Yay crypts! How can you not love them. Just taking this to remind myself how it looks before all the leaves fall off


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## Steve Smith

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

I'm following this thread with fascination.  I really love it!

That first photo reminds me of photos I've seen of crypts growing wild, it's awesome 

http://www.aquarticles.com/images/Xema% ... pt%204.jpg


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Cheers Steve. Yeah, I've read a few articles about this sort of habitat (obviously its not a true biotope), trying to keep everything looking a bit chaotic and as natural as possible given the hodge-podge of plants in the tank.


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## nayr88

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Cor!! Pal if your aiming for a beautiful very natural looking planted tank, give yourself a cookie haha.

Really liking this one, very cool, the emergent part is especially sexy  haha


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Thanks Nayr. Feels like its actually progressing now after months of faffing. Hoping to get the gouramis in a couple of weeks, then it'll feel like it's properly on its way.


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Was having an idle moment at work today and got to thinking about floating plants - the light above this tank is way off to one side, rather than directly above, so I reckon I could fill about 4-5 inches into the tank on the front two sides with floating plants without shading anything below. Would be a good way of encouraging the gouramis to come to the front I think, and offset the big clump of emergent plants on the other side.

So, what I need is recommendations for floaters (preferably of a reasonable size to reduce escapees), and ingenius and elegant solutions for something to make a floating barrier out of to stop them taking over the whole tank.

Ideas people, chop chop!


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## ghostsword

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*



			
				BigTom said:
			
		

> Was having an idle moment at work today and got to thinking about floating plants - the light above this tank is way off to one side, rather than directly above, so I reckon I could fill about 4-5 inches into the tank on the front two sides with floating plants without shading anything below. Would be a good way of encouraging the gouramis to come to the front I think, and offset the big clump of emergent plants on the other side.
> 
> So, what I need is recommendations for floaters (preferably of a reasonable size to reduce escapees), and ingenius and elegant solutions for something to make a floating barrier out of to stop them taking over the whole tank.
> 
> Ideas people, chop chop!



Indian fern, Hygro Pinnatifida, most rotalas, Java fern on a floating mesh, the options are endless. Obviously you can go with the boring normal floaters, but the ones I mentioned would be easy to control, they are stems.  

If you want I can send you closed cell foam, it is 1cm thick very similar to what hydrophite uses for the trellis, obviously you will need to cut to the desired shape, but do a couple of rings and you got a very easy floating raft with stems.


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## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Ah, good idea with the stems. I wonder if Hydrocotyle leuco/sibthorp would work?


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## bigmatt

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

floating wood? One in and one spare to replace it when it sinks?


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## Steve Smith

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

You could anchor some wood to the tank somehow, making a barrier, whilst adding a nice extra dimension to the hardscape 

I'd second Indian fern, it grows in a nice bunch.  Also, Hydrocotyle Verticilata when emergent is quite awesome (and rampant).  Looks great draping down the side of the tank 

I had some growing in/on a 60cm a few years back:

http://deviant-uk.org/pics/aquatics/Liv ... W_4748.jpg
http://deviant-uk.org/pics/aquatics/Liv ... W_4751.jpg

http://deviant-uk.org/pics/aquatics/Liv ... gust_2008/


----------



## ghostsword

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*



			
				bigmatt said:
			
		

> floating wood? One in and one spare to replace it when it sinks?



Same principle, get a plastic mesh, attach closed cell foam to it and put wood on top, then add plants. 

I now have a floating raft with H Pinnatifida. The guys saw one of my mesh rafts at Vivirium, it was growing Riccia emersed. Very simple and clean way to have floating plants. Also look at what riparium supply has, although he is in the US and shipping may be an issue.


----------



## Gfish

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Tom
I found the link I spoke of. Lots of inspiring photos of the real world that is the amazon. Towards the end is that shot of loads of swords 
http://www.aquatic-photography.com/foru ... Underwater

Cheers
Gavin


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Cheers Gav. That sure does look lush! 

Have decided to continue the crypt theme as the last lot haven't melted heavily and are already putting out new leaves, so there's a large amount of C. parva headed my way next week.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Stuff below the waterline has been filling in nicely with decent crypt and fern growth and some fiddling. This is how the two main viewable sides are looking today, excuse the narrow depth of field, just quick handheld shots.

(click for 1000x280px)


----------



## Gfish

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Looking really nice Tom. Everything looks fairly healthy and it's a very natural looking scape. I'm still loving it


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Yeah everything seems pretty healthy except the glosso. The staurogyne is a little yellow underneath as I hadn't trimmed it in ages, but having topped it the bottoms are producing nice green shoots again. Had almost no crypt melt amazingly and they're rooting and putting out new leaves pretty happily. MM is growing like a weed.


----------



## Steve Smith

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Very nice indeed Tom   Any chance of a few full tank shots, as in where it's situated in the room etc?  Would love to see it in situe!


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Will do next week Steve, having a bit of a rejig of the lighting setup at the mo, once that gets done I'll post up some room shots.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Hehe, was having a browse (dangerous!) in one of the LFS in Edinburgh today and spotted 8 _Boraras maculatus_, which I couldn't quite resist. 2 of them were extremely skinny and are still in hiding, but the remaining six have settled in instantly and are waging epic battles against individual daphnia. Quite hilarious that they're too small to take down a whole one on their own


----------



## Steve Smith

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Nice!   I have some of these fish, they're great little things


----------



## Gill

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Great fish to have, loads of character in such a small size. 
And Yes have watched them battling with daphnia, Is hilarious


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Not the easiest fish to photograph, will dig the flash out once they've settled in a bit more...


----------



## bigmatt

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

love these little mites! And that is beltin' pic! Must get some daphnia!


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*

Flash helps


----------



## Johno2090

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 8*

just wanted to say, I love this tank....going to have a go at one myself when I can buy a decent shallow tank.

Amazing Work!


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 8*

Thanks Johno, that's really nice to hear!


----------



## George Farmer

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 8*

I love this, Tom!  Great capture and the colours are beautifully rich. 






I think it's brilliant when you almost cannot tell if the fish is being photographed in the wild or not - no sign of any equipment, glass, man-made ornaments etc.  I become almost entirely suspended in disbelief.

What flash set-up did you use?


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 8*

Thanks George, I was pretty pleased with that one too.

Flash setup was my usual haphazard style - camera in one hand, ring flash held in my other hand over the tank with a bit of white tissue paper stuck on the front to act as a diffuser


----------



## Gill

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 8*

cool shot, very natural. Just wait for them to really color up, such a deep burnt sienna color


----------



## Stu Worrall

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics 14/04*



			
				BigTom said:
			
		

> Flash helps


Amazing shot tom    Love the browns in the image and as George said looks very natural


----------



## John Starkey

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 8*

Great shot,and when you consider the size of these,it makes it an even better shot   ,

john.


----------



## LondonDragon

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 8*

Tanks is taking shape now, looks amazing and that photo is great too  congrats
Any shots of the emersed plants? and full tank?


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 8*

Cheers LD. I'm pretty happy with how its looking at the moment under the water (or, I will be once the final lot of crypts stop melting!). The emersed section is currently marred by a half-built light fixture and some yellowing of the prayer plant, but promise to put some fts up before I go away again this weekend.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 8*

As promised, full tank shot before I go off again. Haven't time to set up properly, but it'll do for the record. Have condensed the emersed plants back into one corner and given the prayer plant a pretty heavy trim as the old leaves were yellowing a bit. Seems to be a shortage of something, will try and figure out what next time I'm home.

Also ignore the still half-built light fitting


----------



## fandango

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 8*

I really like this concept. It must be like having a fish tank and an indoor pond all in one.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 8*



			
				fandango said:
			
		

> I really like this concept. It must be like having a fish tank and an indoor pond all in one.



Thanks, I'm pretty happy with how things are going so far. Reasonable plant growth given I'm not brave enough to leave co2 unattended like you! BTW, really enjoyed your journal but not sure I ever commented on it.


----------



## Barbapappa

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 8*

Really lovely tank! Maybe what's missing is the transition between the water and the high echinodorus? You could soften with the right plant, maybe bolbitus?


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 8*

Yeah, it's on my to-do list. There's some dwarf papayrus that's struggling to break the surface at the moment, which should ease the transition a bit. I've been holding off sorting it out until I've moved the lights, as that'll throw more light into that area of shadow.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 8*

Well, back from another 5 weeks of tank neglect and everything looks good. Fish looking plump and happy, most of the plants are healthy, no algae, lillies are flowering again and the triffid is now 4 feet tall. Crypts finally melted shortly after I left but there is decent regrowth.

A wide shot, will take some more once I've had a bit of a tidy up -


----------



## Johno2090

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 8*

Still looking Gorgeous...


----------



## Mark Evans

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 8*

That's a sweet and unique layout.


----------



## sanj

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 8*

This reminds me of a miniature version of Medicineman's 700 gallon indoor sunken garden project. very nice


----------



## George Farmer

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 8*

Bravo, Tom.

Looking forward to more pics!


----------



## NeilW

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 8*

This tank looks amazing, I love the 'three-dimensional' quality of it that is lacking in most tanks. Such a nice addition to a living space.

Did you get any photos of the setup out of curiosity?


----------



## ghostsword

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 8*

I just love this tank, it is such a beauty, and would be perfect on a school or nursery, where the kids could see at their eye level how amazing an aquarium would look like. 

I really like it.!


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 8*

Thanks again guys.

Neil, I did take some at setup but can't find them on my hard drive any more. It was a very gradual process though, most of the plants were added over a period of time after the tank was flooded, due to money and time constraints and holdups with the orders I placed around Christmas (snow etc), so the setup shots aren't particularly illuminating.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 8*

Have added a few more emergent plants to fill out the transition between the water and the triffid (which has roots across the entire 9 square feet of substrate now!) and had a bit of a tidy up. Some photos -

New and improved emergent planting...


 

It's a jungle out there...


 

Little fish in a big pond...


 

Lilly spathe...


----------



## chump54

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics page 10*

omg... marvellous...

Chris


----------



## LondonDragon

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics page 10*

Truly stunning this tank! Shame it does take up a lot of space due to footprint!! Congrats, it just keeps getting better


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics page 10*

Aye, it's pretty unweildy. Ideally I'd want it in the centre of a room viewable from all sides, but that's unlikely to happen unless I win the lottery and can move into an enormous penthouse somewhere


----------



## Garuf

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics page 10*

All sorts of amazing, I'm increasingly envious! Wanna share some tips for trying this in a 2x1 footprint?


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics page 10*



			
				Garuf said:
			
		

> All sorts of amazing, I'm increasingly envious! Wanna share some tips for trying this in a 2x1 footprint?



Put plants in mud, add light? 

Don't buy a triffid   

Slightly more seriously; plant heavily at the start, make sure your light is positioned to minimise shadows from emergent foliage, don't expect fast growth (except triffids) and don't expect plants to carpet unless you plant them incredibly densely to begin with. If you use houseplants, give them a few weeks to acclimatise to living in hydroculture before setting up the tank (it took mine about a month to switch to appropriate root systems), that way you're much less likely to run into algae at the start.

Garden centres, pond suppliers and homebase/b&q are your friends!


----------



## hotweldfire

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics page 10*

Just stumbled across this and am gobsmacked. So deeply envious. Determined to try a smaller version of this when the OH is away over the next couple of weeks and not around to stop it


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics page 10*



			
				hotweldfire said:
			
		

> Just stumbled across this and am gobsmacked. So deeply envious. Determined to try a smaller version of this when the OH is away over the next couple of weeks and not around to stop it



Haha, that's my kind of plan!


----------



## ghostsword

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics page 10*

This has to be one o the best tanks I have seen. 

A masterpiece. Could you do a video? A long video! 


.


----------



## chump54

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics page 10*

+1 for everything Luis said


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics page 10*

Let's not get carried away here chaps 

There are a lot of imperfections hidden in amongst the general chaos! Would do a video if I could, my trusty old D200 doesn't have a film mode though. Might see if someone at work  has something suitable I could borrow...


----------



## ghostsword

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics page 10*

Tom, the beauty of the tank is just not how pristine it is, if it has perfect plants and so on. For me the beauty is on the detail and the balance that is stricken when we are trying to replicate a piece of nature while keeping it tamed. You have achieved that balance.

From the photos I have see that tank would not be out of place at the zoo or even at the natural history museum.

If you could add a fence to it and place some crabs on it it would be a perfect display to put on the zoo! 

I would like a video, so that I could show my wife what I want to put on the sitting room.  ditch the 42inch tv and put something like that on it's place . 


.


----------



## cheebs

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics page 10*

Absolutely stunning. I love the way its totally self sustaining.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics page 10*

Well, the most exciting thing to update on is that there are now more fish - 6 _Parosphromenus 'sintangensis'_ (trade name). Awesome fish, still pretty shy but just starting to colour up after a couple of days in the tank.

I was staking the tank out with the camera hoping to get a shot of one of the Paros (without any luck), and ended up snapping a few of one of the cherry shrimp... once I got them on the computer I noticed what seems to be white spots of some sort, any idea what they might be and if I should be worried?


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics page 10*

Well, still failing to get any usable shots of the male gouramis, but here are a couple of one of the females in camouflage mode...


----------



## chilled84

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics page 10*

Chump this tank is a fine example of what can be done! You should be very proud!


----------



## collins

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - New pics page 10*

Beautiful absolutely stunning very impressed!!!!!!!


----------



## Alastair

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 12*

I'm intrigued as to what those whitespots are too


----------



## Tom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 12*

Pretty awesome tank  We had one just like it at Sparsholt, but probably not as healthy


----------



## Johno2090

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 12*

The White spots to me just look like pigment in the shell, nothing I'd be worried about.


----------



## Gary Nelson

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 12*

Yes a real masterpiece! it looks fantastic and great photos too


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 12*

Finally got a decent shot of one of the male Paros. Now just to get him flaring!


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 12*

Ta. Shot with Nikon D200, Sigma 150mm macro lens and off-camera flash. The camera is currently for sale in the Buy/Sell/Swap section if you're interested!


----------



## Mark Evans

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 12*

Looking good mate. I cant help but feel though, some of the images are a tad under exposed


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 12*



			
				Mark Evans said:
			
		

> Looking good mate. I cant help but feel though, some of the images are a tad under exposed



Cheers. 

I tend to prefer my images darker than most people do, but normally the detail is there if you're properly calibrated.


----------



## Mark Evans

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 12*



			
				BigTom said:
			
		

> I tend to prefer my images darker than most people do, but normally the detail is there if you're properly calibrated.



It must be my crappy monitor then.   I trust they look right mate   

mine must look over exposed then   i must check this out.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 12*

It can make quite a big difference, luckily I can just borrow a calibration device from work once in a while.


----------



## Mark Evans

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 12*



			
				BigTom said:
			
		

> luckily I can just borrow a calibration device from work once in a while.



Tools of the trade!

 If i cant get mine right, I'll borrow a lump hammer from work and smash my screen in   The inbred 'roofer' mentality in me, always wants to smash things up... I was never cut out to be a pro photographer. 

On a serious note though, i rely on my iPhone to check exposure of images that i upload. If it looks right on that, i must be near enough. I'm sure Apple would of spent a bit of money, trying to get images looking right on their screens.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 12*



			
				Mark Evans said:
			
		

> BigTom said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On a serious note though, i rely on my iPhone to check exposure of images that i upload. If it looks right on that, i must be near enough. I'm sure Apple would of spent a bit of money, trying to get images looking right on their screens.
Click to expand...


Yikes! I hope autobrightness isn't turned on!


----------



## Mark Evans

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 12*



			
				BigTom said:
			
		

> Yikes! I hope autobrightness isn't turned on!



and thats why, i'm a roofer, and your the pro photographer


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 12*

Hah. Given what you've invested in photography so far I do think it's worth considering a non-TN screen and calibration tool. Having said that I happily used an uncalibrated TN for years, but investing in am IPS monitor really let me push the dark images I was producing at the time.

PS, I'm not a pro photographer, just a hobbiest!


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 12*

Well, I don't know what's got into the Paros today, they're normally very shy, but have been marauding around all over the place...

http://imageshack.com/a/img905/686/hZXLpN.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img904/6937/Osd5ut.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img904/8047/QynsQ7.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img540/2801/xkkQvU.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img904/9453/4kCdp1.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img633/8171/SaeMB7.jpg

That last one was shot with the flash behind, instead of in front, so there's no reflection from the blue photosites, but it really shows off the iridescence on their bodies.


----------



## Bobtastic

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Fish pics page 12*

Really nice Tom. Good looking fish!


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Licorice gourami pics page 14*

Thanks, I'm beocming slightly obsessed with them! Don't get to see them too often as they're normally skulking under the emersed plant growth, but it's a real treat when they put on a display. The way they move is wonderful.


----------



## ghostsword

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Licorice gourami pics page 14*

I like the leafs on the bottom, where did you get them? 

It looks very interesting fish..


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Licorice gourami pics page 14*

The leaves are a mix of beech and oak, which were collected last winter and dried for a bit, I just chuck a handful in now and again.

Actually, I think the leaf in the last picture  is a red oak, which a friend collected and gave me.


----------



## ghostsword

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Licorice gourami pics page 14*

I will see if I can get some oak leaves in London, just need to find out what a oak tree looks like..


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Licorice gourami pics page 14*

You'll need to wait until autumn now! I wouldn't recommend putting green leaves in, wait for them to be dead and dry.


----------



## Mxx

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Licorice gourami pics page 14*

Great tank, great journal, very inspiring! I just love the idea of a more or less self-sufficent ecosystem in miniature. And I read through everything in a disjointed fashion, including the other links, and would like to hear a bit more about what you're doing with it now. 

Do you feed the fish at all when you're home, or do they get enough to eat from the microfauna? I suppose you could always add an auto feeder for when you're gone, though that detracts a bit from the magic of such a tank. It sounds like the only thing you add is some leaves to feed the invertebrates? But what do you think would be the result if you enriched the tank by adding more nutrients in any form, be it fertilizer or food, would that result in richer microfauna and plant growth, or algae? Do you suspect the nitrogen in the soil and the system will at some point run out, possibly resulting in blue-green algae problems eventually? 

What kind of soil did you use? Is it mineralized topsoil? And did it have any organic content in it still? (Which would decompose in time to provide CO2 to the roots of the submerged plants) I'd have thought organic soil would give you a better chance of achieving a carpet than you could with just mineral soil, but I could be wrong. 

Also, I don't know if you'd added any buffers such as dolomite to the soil substrate, but what is your pH and does it tend to stay that way, in case you know?

Unfortunate about the Glosso, but you decided not to try Dwarf Sags or Marsilea, which is what I was similarly considering as they're supposed to be about the easiest carpeting plants?

And finally, you didn't in the end include a refugium to act as a breeding sanctuary for microfauna? In any case it seems with a tank this size and the light fauna it is working for you and isn't thus necessary.

Lot of questions though!... but helpful if you can provide any answers.


----------



## gmartins

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Licorice gourami pics page 14*



			
				ghostsword said:
			
		

> I will see if I can get some oak leaves in London, just need to find out what a oak tree looks like..



Hi ghostword, oak is a "carvalho" in portuguese.  Hope this helps.

Stunnig fish btw.

cheers,

GM


----------



## ghostsword

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Licorice gourami pics page 14*

 I know what it is, but I lived in Lisbon, never seen a carvalho there. 

My inlaws know how oak looks like, so when we went to Kew gardens I got a bag full. Got home, boiled them and then placed the leaves on the oven for a bit.

Got dried leaves and black water extract now!  




.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Licorice gourami pics page 14*

Hi again Mxx,

Sorry about being a bit slow responding, I've been away from home for a while (hence the need for a sustainable tank!), just got back last night.



			
				Mxx said:
			
		

> Great tank, great journal, very inspiring! I just love the idea of a more or less self-sufficent ecosystem in miniature. And I read through everything in a disjointed fashion, including the other links, and would like to hear a bit more about what you're doing with it now.
> 
> Do you feed the fish at all when you're home, or do they get enough to eat from the microfauna? I suppose you could always add an auto feeder for when you're gone, though that detracts a bit from the magic of such a tank. It sounds like the only thing you add is some leaves to feed the invertebrates?



Most of the time all I add is fresh leaves every month or two. Sometimes when I'm home I'll give the fish a bit of a treat to vary their diet a bit, I don't believe it's crucial to keeping them going though.  I'm regularly away from home for 5-6 weeks at a time, during which the tank gets no input other than water top-offs.



			
				Mxx said:
			
		

> But what do you think would be the result if you enriched the tank by adding more nutrients in any form, be it fertilizer or food, would that result in richer microfauna and plant growth, or algae? Do you suspect the nitrogen in the soil and the system will at some point run out, possibly resulting in blue-green algae problems eventually?



I haven't tried adding extra ferts, although I may do when/if the soil becomes depleted. The soil is now 9 months old and was fairly lean to start with, and I imagine that the enormous amazon sword (which has roots throughout the entire substrate) must have consumed a lot of the available nutrients. However, I never prune the leaves when they die off, they just fall back into the tank and replenish the water column.



			
				Mxx said:
			
		

> What kind of soil did you use? Is it mineralized topsoil? And did it have any organic content in it still? (Which would decompose in time to provide CO2 to the roots of the submerged plants) I'd have thought organic soil would give you a better chance of achieving a carpet than you could with just mineral soil, but I could be wrong.



This was just garden compost (I can't remember the exact makeup, was a John Innes formula, I think JI number 5 from memory), cut about 50/50 with sand. There was a moderate algae bloom in the first few weeks, whilst the plants were establishing themselves and the ammonia was spiking, but since then no issues at all (I get a tiny amount of green spot algae on the glass where the sunlight diffuses through the window).



			
				Mxx said:
			
		

> Also, I don't know if you'd added any buffers such as dolomite to the soil substrate, but what is your pH and does it tend to stay that way, in case you know?



I've never measured the pH in this tank, my tap water is soft and close to neutral, so I imagine the tank is fairly acidic whith all the humic substances from the leaves breaking down. The fish are soft, acid water species and seem to be doing well.



			
				Mxx said:
			
		

> Unfortunate about the Glosso, but you decided not to try Dwarf Sags or Marsilea, which is what I was similarly considering as they're supposed to be about the easiest carpeting plants?



I have some issue with the foreground still, there are various of the smaller crypts in there but they are all painfully slow growing in this setup. I have some _E. magdelensis_ which seems to be doing well but is a little large.



			
				Mxx said:
			
		

> And finally, you didn't in the end include a refugium to act as a breeding sanctuary for microfauna? In any case it seems with a tank this size and the light fauna it is working for you and isn't thus necessary.
> 
> Lot of questions though!... but helpful if you can provide any answers.



Yeah, I decided to try it without the refugium to begin with, and it all seems to be working ok. I still think that one would be a good idea in principle though, I was just too impatient to come up with a good design that wouldn't impact my hardscape when I was setting up.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Licorice gourami pics page 14*

PS. Tank is looking great after another 6 weeks away, fish all seem happy and healthy (the ones I can spot anyway!).


----------



## Gill

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Licorice gourami pics page 14*

Wow the tank is going from strength to strength. I have to ask though, are the Pits on the gourami faces just along the upper lip normal. As I don't remember seeing them on mine when I kept them.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Licorice gourami pics page 14*



			
				Gill said:
			
		

> Wow the tank is going from strength to strength. I have to ask though, are the Pits on the gourami faces just along the upper lip normal. As I don't remember seeing them on mine when I kept them.



Thanks. As for the 'pits',  must admit I never even noticed them until you mentioned it. They seem to be present in the same place on both sides of the face on several individuals in the photos, so I can only assume they're normal.


----------



## Gill

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Licorice gourami pics page 14*

Ahh Ok, then it is prob normal. They just look so prominant and reminded me of HITH.


----------



## OllieNZ

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Licorice gourami pics page 14*

Awesome tank BigTom  
As for the pits I've kept a few species of gourami and these small pits seem to be a common trait.

Regards

Ollie


----------



## Mxx

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Licorice gourami pics page 14*

Thanks for the responses, very helpful! I suppose there would have been room to hide a refugium sump underneath the tank in the stand (stack of pallets), but I suppose that would have detracted from the simple beauty of the system, that and sumps can be a noisy pain in the ass... 

If you found your tank was running out of nitrogen, which it will eventually as it offgasses, then you could always plant some nitrogen fixing plants, such as sugarcane (or legumes) and grow those as immersed species. The simple floating plant Azolla would fix atmospheric nitrogen as well for your system as the little plants grow and die off, but they might become a problem as well and I'm not sure your system lends itself to growing floating plants which you might have to cull. I picked some up yesterday to use as such, (which came with a good supply of Daphnia and other little things, so I'll be able to seed my little trial from those now).


----------



## Alastair

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Licorice gourami pics page 14*

those gouramis look lovely, were they easy to come by? might add some to my shoal of chocolate gouramis if i can find any. love the tank though bigtom


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Licorice gourami pics page 14*

Got mine from Colin over on the BCA forums, I think he has 2 or 3 types in at the moment but you can often get paros of one type or other (usually sold as P. deissneri) from MA and other decent retailers.

They are lovely fish but very reclusive, so don't expect to see huge amounts of them. Should work well with chocs though.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Licorice gourami pics page 14*

I got myself a new toy last weekend (Panasonic GH2), and decided to point it at the tank whilst figuring out what all the buttons did. As a crash course in videography it actually made a very useful subject.

The footage is pretty rough because it's so dimly lit that i had to shoot at about 10fps and interpolate the extra frames, but I know some people have been asking for a video of the tank and inhabitants, so here you go!

Welcome to the premiere of my debut film, _"Parosphromenus: A love story (in 2 parts)"_


----------



## OllieNZ

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Licorice gourami pics page 14*

Love it BigTom, absolutely awsome.


----------



## a1Matt

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Video! (page 15)*

I'd go as far to say that is the most enjoyable aquarium video I've watched to date 
I hope you don't mind, I am going to cross post it over on LFKC so that members there can enjoy it too.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Video! (page 15)*

Hah, thanks.

(no problem Matt)


----------



## cheebs

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Video! (page 15)*

What Matt said!

This is an inspiration.


----------



## Iain Sutherland

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Video! (page 15)*

Classic, gouramis are amazing!
Thanks tom


----------



## fandango

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Video! (page 15)*

Loved the movie. I was half expecting Charlie Chaplin to make an entrance at some point  .
But seriously, very nice clip. Thanks for posting it.
regards,
fandango


----------



## dw1305

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Video! (page 15)*

Hi all,
Definitely inspirational, it is a brilliant tank, you must be so pleased with the way it has turned out.

Cheers Darrel


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Video! (page 15)*

Thanks for the comments all 

Darrel, I'm very pleased with it now that it's matured. Given that it was all a bit of an 'experiment' it's managed not to hit any major pitfalls, and survived the earlier shrimp wipeout and various other tricky bits. Everything now looks properly _old_, and hopefully the gouramis (which I'm still completely besotted with) will manage to breed soon, which will be the icing on the cake.


----------



## George Farmer

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Video! (page 15)*

Inspirational and incredible, Tom.  Love the video as well.  You're a natural.


----------



## ghostsword

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Video! (page 15)*

I really like the tank, and think that it is one of the best tanks in the forum, especially as I like emersed plants.  

The whole setup is just magical.


----------



## dazza

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Video! (page 15)*

Fantastic video, so entertaining. loved the music too  :d


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Video! (page 15)*

Aww guys, you're making me blush.

Ghost, there's a chance I might need to tear this down and move it next year, in which case I'll probably end up rescaping it and that enormous echinodorous will be looking for a home...


----------



## Tom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Video! (page 15)*

Brilliant video, and some great fish. Makes me want another jungle scape to just concentrate on certain fish, rather than scaping!


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Video! (page 15)*

As winter draws ever nearer (in Scotland anyway!), I thought I should take a few shot sof the rather nice light that diffuses into the tank in the mornings...

http://imageshack.com/a/img538/5049/MBGpwK.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img912/4589/FmJ9mR.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img633/2325/3GCXw1.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img633/9214/5cujnl.jpg


----------



## Alastair

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Video! (page 15)*

awesome pictures and love the vid too. this has to be my favourite ever tank, i love it. id be permanently glued to a chair right next to it


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Video! (page 15)*

Danger!

The triffid is now sending out flower stalks, it's going to take over the room...

http://imageshack.com/a/img538/9454/7oZTPD.jpg

Anyone want to place a bet on how long it gets? Currently about 4 feet -


----------



## ghostsword

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Attack of the triffid (page 17)*

Wow. I got one of those, but the leaves are weighted down on the water, I do not have much room above water for them, and they reached about 3 feet.. but 4 feet? Damm dude, those are monsters..


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Attack of the triffid (page 17)*

Hehe. The leaves seem to have topped out at about 4'4" tall, although each new one is still an inch or two taller than the previous one. Considering that when I planted it the tallest leaf was about 10" I'm quite impressed!


----------



## dw1305

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Attack of the triffid (page 17)*

Hi all,
Looking at the size of the buds it still has a way to go, I reckon 6' is likely and 8' a possibility.
cheers Darrel


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Attack of the triffid (page 17)*

Exciting!

10' would get it to the ceiling...


----------



## clonitza

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Attack of the triffid (page 17)*

Inspirational tank there Tom! Nevertheless the best from UKAPS.  

Mike


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Attack of the triffid (page 17)*

Whilst I think about it, is having it flower while I'm away anything to worry about for the health of the rest of the plant? Not particulalry worried about propagating anything, but wondered if it might start overly investing in reproduction to the detriment of growing/maintaning leaves?

Kind of wish I'd gone to some plant biology lectures sometimes.

EDIT - cheers Mike!


----------



## ghostsword

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Attack of the triffid (page 17)*



			
				dw1305 said:
			
		

> Hi all,
> Looking at the size of the buds it still has a way to go, I reckon 6' is likely and 8' a possibility.
> cheers Darrel



Wow, that would be a tree..  

I noticed that the leaves go slightly brown on the edges, but the plant remains healthy, this is normal right?

Well done on such amazing specimen.


----------



## cbelgard

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Attack of the triffid (page 17)*

Oh wow, this is so inspirational, I'd never had thought of even trying something like this.  I have a 45Ltr square tank (can't remember the make, free gift with PFK) that's been sat in my kitchen for weeks as I have no-where to set it up with the lid / light attached and the only possible space is in my bedroom in direct sunlight. Also really not sure I can be bothered with cycling and setting up a 4th "fish" tank.  Now seriously considering going for this sort of look instead.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Attack of the triffid (page 17)*

Well, the final set of buds have just come out, stalk is an inch shy of 6'. Not a bad guess there Darrel 

Anyone know if I can get the stalk to produce new plants? Force it underwater maybe?


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Attack of the triffid (page 17)*

Yikes.

Well I've figured out why the Paros haven't successfully raised any fry.

Turns out my tap water, which I'd always assumed was basically neutral is in fact about pH 8.4, and the tank water 7.5. I could probably get it down to 6.5 in the tank with regular water changes (which is what it drops to in the nano), but as these aren't an option when I'm away I reckon I'm going to have to try and figure out a way of unobtrusively installing an RO system in my flat. 

Probably only going to need about 30 litres a week, but don't want to do anything major to the plumbing, or have something that's going to annoy the flatmates whilst running. Any suggestions?


----------



## George Farmer

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Video! (page 15)*



			
				BigTom said:
			
		

> Danger!
> 
> The triffid is now sending out flower stalks, it's going to take over the room...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone want to place a bet on how long it gets? Currently about 4 feet -


This is incredible! Thanks for sharing, Tom.


----------



## George Farmer

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*

Regarding the RO - do you have access to an outside garden tap?

I use a cheap RO unit (£70) and one of these - http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalo ... ps-sellers


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*

Sadly not George, in a second floor flat and there's not tap in the shared garden.


----------



## George Farmer

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*



			
				BigTom said:
			
		

> Sadly not George, in a second floor flat and there's not tap in the shared garden.


The usual method for RO connection is to use a self-cutting/sealing connector that fits from the RO unit onto the mains pipe, but it sounds like this isn't an option in a shared occupancy.

It's a pain in the butt (excuse the pun) but you could consider buying RO from your LFS? I think the going rate is around £3 per 25 litres.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*

Yeah that is a possibility, one of my LFS has a marine section so presumably also sell RO. Pain int he blahblahblahblah ot get there though, no wheels and not on a bus route. Might be the best option though.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*

Just did a full set of pH and hardness tests for the first time...

Tap water - pH 8.1-8.4 depending on tap, 50ppm/100µS (2.8 dH)
Bucket of Mud - pH 7.5, 235ppm/470µS (13.1 dH)
Nano cube - pH 6.3, 100ppm/200µS (5.6 dH)

The nano has fairly regular water changes, whereas the Bucket I just top off evaporation so it's probably just a build up of buffering agents from the tap water causing the pH to remain high despite all the organics.

I suspect that bi-monthly water changes (about as regular as realistically possible) would be enough to bring pH and hardness down to more acceptable levels, although not to Paro breeding levels.

I was planning on having one of the new tanks I'm going to get in the new year as a dedicated Paro breeding tank and moving a pair across form the big tank until they've spawned, then back again.

Any thoughts?


----------



## George Farmer

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*

I would perform more water changes and see what happens.

What test kits/equipment are you using?


----------



## Morgan Freeman

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*

I'm sure I read somewhere than John Innes 3 can raise hardness and Ph.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*

Those were with a Hanna combined pH/EC/TDS meter - this one http://www.hannainst.co.uk/product_info ... ts_id=2503

Should be pretty accurate assuming the factory calibration certificate is to be believed (still need to pick up some calibration fluids).


----------



## George Farmer

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*



			
				Morgan Freeman said:
			
		

> I'm sure I read somewhere than John Innes 3 can raise hardness and Ph.


This is true, for sure. I didn't realise Tom was using that...


----------



## dw1305

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*

Hi all,


> John Innes 3 can raise hardness and pH


I agree, I think the water is too hard and salty for it to be the build up of evaporites. I think you'll have to  find another water source to breed your Paros, as even 





> Tap water - pH 8.1-8.4 depending on tap, 50ppm/100µS (2.8 dH)


 is probably too hard. I'll ignore the pH, as that is caused by the sodium hydroxide, (NaOH) the water company has added, and the pH reading is only temporary until the OH- ions have been exhausted. 

Sphagnum peat filtration on 100% tap water may well reduce the hardness of your tap supply to a low enough level for breeding, via ion exchange, or possibly just purchase/obtain from a lab  RO or deionised water as you only need a small volume of water for them to breed in.

I also think that, because you have to leave the tank for long time periods, having more carbonate buffering that  you might like is not necessarily a problem, and will actually help keep conditions stable.

cheers Darrel


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*

Thanks Darrel, very interesting reply. Will give things some thought while I'm away over the holidays and put together a plan for the new year.

I'll also do a bit of an experiment and see what effect the substrate is having on water hardness when I get a chance.


----------



## sarahtermite

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*

Wow. I was browsing this site, and came across this thread, and had to read all 19 pages of comments - including watching the video. You've created an inspiring, gorgeous, spell-binding tank. Your photos are exquisite (my favourite - the shrimp posing on the branch in the morning light), and the video just amazing. I've seen so many wonderful tanks on this site, but yours is something else. Maybe it's the interaction of the livestock with their rather marvellous habitat. Whatever it is - thank you for sharing!

(I'll stop gushing now.)


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*

Thanks Sarah, always great to get comments like that!


----------



## Alastair

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*

I think it has that effect when anyone reads this journal. It's my favourite of all journals this too. I've read it loads 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## hotweldfire

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*

Yeah, second that.


----------



## dw1305

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*

Hi all.


> I think it has that effect when anyone reads this journal. It's my favourite of all journals this too. I've read it loads


Same here, I've been really interested in how it is going right from the start.


> my favourite - the shrimp posing on the branch


 I've got some other shrimps for Tom, we don't knpw quite what they are, they were bought as "Green Shrimp", from the local MA, but they are mainly a very dark chocolate brown, with a broad cream dorsal stripe from the head to the telson.

I had a bit of a posting disaster last time, but I've now got some Kordon Breathable bags and "bag buddies", so as soon as the weather warms a little bit, Tom is home, and assuming that I can actually catch some, they will be heading to Edinburgh.

cheers Darrel


----------



## Morgan Freeman

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*

I'm also very fond of this thread, seeing as it inspired my low tech soil tank.


----------



## a1Matt

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*

Yep, definitely a top journal 

Back to the RO... You can connect a unit without making permanent plumbing alterations by putting a split onto the water feed for the washing machine (instead of using a pierce valve thingy).  That sorts the input.  Then put taps on it's outputs so you can isolate them and effectively turn the unit off.

Making it unobtrusive to your housemates will likely remain a challenge though.


----------



## JohnC

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*



			
				BigTom said:
			
		

> Just did a full set of pH and hardness tests for the first time...
> 
> Tap water - pH 8.1-8.4 depending on tap, 50ppm/100µS (2.8 dH)
> Bucket of Mud - pH 7.5, 235ppm/470µS (13.1 dH)
> Nano cube - pH 6.3, 100ppm/200µS (5.6 dH)
> 
> .......
> 
> Any thoughts?



Hi Tom,

Just wanted to check. Are these readings for your tap water in Edinburgh? I'm stunned you have ph 8 ish in a city renown for soft water. I've never had it above 7.2 in any flat i've had.

Best Regards,
John


----------



## dw1305

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*

Hi all,


> I'm stunned you have ph 8 ish in a city renown for soft water.


 It is from added NaOH, that is why the TDS is only 50ppm, the water is still soft (it doesn't have any carbonate buffering (dKH)) although the pH is at pH8. 

Because there is a relatively small number of OH- ions in solution (we know this from the TDS), and no reserve of dKH, it won't need the addition of many H+ ions (acids are H+ ion donors) to make the pH decline and potentially keep on going to very low levels.

cheers Darrel


----------



## JohnC

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*



			
				dw1305 said:
			
		

> Hi all,
> 
> 
> 
> I'm stunned you have ph 8 ish in a city renown for soft water.
> 
> 
> 
> It is from added NaOH, that is why the TDS is only 50ppm, the water is still soft (it doesn't have any carbonate buffering (dKH)) although the pH is at pH8.
> 
> Because there is a relatively small number of OH- ions in solution (we know this from the TDS), and no reserve of dKH, it won't need the addition of many H+ ions (acids are H+ ion donors) to make the pH decline and potentially keep on going to very low levels.
> 
> cheers Darrel
Click to expand...


 i love it when you talk science at me.   

overall thou. I've never had my ph readings that high in Edinburgh. Although i've not tested in the last couple of years.....

Am I to presume the water board in Tom's area are using Sodium Hydroxide to counter lead in the pipes that we have a problem for in the city? 

When I was in Leith (another Edinburgh area to where I am now) I asked my water board for the chemical readings for my tap water. They provided me with 2 years worth of graphs for various things. Interesting read. The phosphate readings varied from 5ppm to 9ppm depending on the time of year. I was told at the time that was due to it being used to control the same Lead issues.

Would this also be removed by the use of water conditioners on water change? The NaOH. There by reducing the water to a norm ph.

Thanks,
John


----------



## dw1305

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*

Hi all,


> ........The phosphate readings varied from 5ppm to 9ppm depending on the time of year. I was told at the time that was due to it being used to control the same Lead issues. Would this also be removed by the use of water conditioners on water change? The NaOH. There by reducing the water to a norm ph.



The only real ways of getting rid of the phosphate would be with plants. You could precipitate it out bicarbonate ions (HCO3-) (this is how it works in the pipes, lead phosphate complexes are formed in the alkaline water, and are insoluble, so precipitate out of the water supply), if you had carbonate buffered water, but to get exactly the right amount of carbonate woould be difficult, if you have an excess your water would just get harder over time. 

The NaOH is slightly different, because it fully disassociates into Na+ and OH- ions, it doesn't add any buffering. The natural tank processes ("bioacidification") will tend to increase the relative proportion of H+ ions, as soon as these reach the level where they out-number the OH- ions the pH will fall, and if you don't have any carbonate buffering it will continue to decline to very low pH values. The Na+ ions will also tend to build up in the tank, as they aren't taken up to any great degree by plants (nor are chloride ions and this is why the sea is salty with NaCl). 

Dilution with RO (or rain water) would be the only real way of reducing both sodium and phosphorus levels (plants will remove P, but not Na).

cheers Darrel


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*

Very happy to have awesome geek chat in my thread, thanks guys 

Love how stupid-proof this tank is... just got back from 2 weeks away and found out I'd accidentally set the light timer to be on 18 hours a day before I left. Damage done? Nothing, no algae, no unhealthy plants, in fact everything looks healthier than when I left, especially the fat little otos 

Will do a proper update on the weekend in honour of the tank's one year anniversary!


----------



## George Farmer

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*



			
				BigTom said:
			
		

> Very happy to have awesome geek chat in my thread, thanks guys
> 
> Love how stupid-proof this tank is... just got back from 2 weeks away and found out I'd accidentally set the light timer to be on 18 hours a day before I left. Damage done? Nothing, no algae, no unhealthy plants, in fact everything looks healthier than when I left, especially the fat little otos
> 
> Will do a proper update on the weekend in honour of the tank's one year anniversary!


Awesome! Look forward to the update.


----------



## sarahtermite

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*

Really looking forward to seeing how it's doing! 

How often do you need to disperse the surface biofilm? Or is it not a problem any more?


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*



			
				sarahtermite said:
			
		

> Really looking forward to seeing how it's doing!
> 
> How often do you need to disperse the surface biofilm? Or is it not a problem any more?



Not too much surface film these days really, having a few floating plants (damn duckweed!) seems ot help stop it forming.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*

Well, the tank is now roughly a year old, still happily more or less self sustaining and has turned into an absolute jungle. I'm quite happy to leave it do it's thing really, so everything is pretty messy, but some pics -


http://imageshack.com/a/img538/8717/eeDwNB.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img673/7205/aZC0R3.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img661/4820/N2wqBi.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img908/6738/kZXzQx.jpg


----------



## George Farmer

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*

Wow! I'm lost for words. I'll come back in a minute once I've relocated my jawbone.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*



			
				George Farmer said:
			
		

> Wow! I'm lost for words. I'll come back in a minute once I've relocated my jawbone.



Now that's the sort of response I like


----------



## George Farmer

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - RO advice needed please*

OK, I've had a chance to collect my thoughts in a logical manner.

This is the best aquarium set-up on UKAPS IMO. It ticks so many boxes. 

1) You're obviously a dedicated fishkeeper and this is to be commended in an age where aquascapers tend to think of the requirements of the layout and aesthetics over the welfare of the fish. I have been guilty of it myself until I had a huge telling-off by a very good friend of mine. 

2) The sustainability of the set-up is amazing. Proof that you don't need all the expensive gear and gadgets to create a wonderful work of living art.

3) The combination of below and above water life is fantastic. I would dearly love to see this in the flesh. Shame you live so far away!

4) You've almost achieved this through a kind of neglect. Most aquascapers are a bit OCD about clealiness, water changes etc. However, I would suggest this kind of set-up is more conducive for healthy fish. I expect the water parameters are very stable, and the lack of water changes etc. give a chance for many microorganisms to thrive - more live food for the fish, encouraging more natural behaviour.

Very well done. This tank has made my day.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - One year old!*

Thanks George, that's some pretty amazing feedback.

I should qualify a few things. For starters the transition between underwater and immersed growth is a bit weak, they do still look like plants in pots stuck to the side... I'm planning a major rescape sometime in the next month in order to build a proper island for the plants to grow on, and to remove a rock that I think is adding to the water hardness.

I am also taking the risk of gradually lowering the water hardness through water changes. This might upset the plants a bit and reduce the stability of the water parameters, but I do feel the need to bring the conditions closer in line to what the fish in the tank prefer. I think as long as I do things gradually (as with everything in this tank!) then it should be OK.

The alternative would be to move the Paros and Boraras across to the new nano cubes, but there's no way I could keep them in a self-sustaining fashion by doing that. I really hope to be able to get the Paros breeding one way or another, as otherwise all I'm doing is contributing to the consumption of an endangered species.

I think the other important thing to highlight is how slow the development of this tank has been... it's taken a year to get to the point that a high tech solution would reach in a matter of weeks (plant growth wise) - I think Mark has produced about 4 stunning scapes in the same time frame   . However, the upside of this is that things in the tank really are starting to look properly wild... I've got mosses that I never even knew were in the tank creeping across wood and stone, and the mulm has just reached the point where my hydrocotyles are throwing out roots for the first time, instead of just spreading with runners. The whole ecosystem is still not in balance after a year - the last 2 weeks have seen an explosion in the _Hyella azteca_ population that I thought had died out completely when I added them way back in the summer.

It's not a style of tank for the impatient, and even I sometimes struggle to resist the urge to mess around with it or (hardest of all), not chuck an extra hundred fish in!


----------



## Piece-of-fish

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - One year old!*

One of the best for me too. Just love it. It is like a indoor pond with all it's beauty.
So great that it is low tech. Emersed growth is immaculate.   
I shall read it from the beginning very carefully again to seek advices for a similar setup.
Thanks for the possibility to view it at least on pictures.


----------



## viktorlantos

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - One year old!*

Wow this looks awesome! The emers world is absolutely wonderful and the tank support it very well with it's crowded world. Congrat mate it's amazing!


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - One year old!*



			
				viktorlantos said:
			
		

> crowded



No kidding, to be honest it's pretty out of control now, I'm no longer responsible for how anything looks


----------



## sarahtermite

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - One year old!*

Woohoo, it's going from strength to strength, and still looks gorgeous one year on. It's just so luxuriant! What's the emergent plant that you can only see the stems of?

I can understand the temptation to add more fish, but I think the fact that the fish population is minimal is what makes it so special - you only get to see the fish on their terms. I like that.  

Anyhow, hope the re-vamp goes well.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - One year old!*



			
				sarahtermite said:
			
		

> Woohoo, it's going from strength to strength, and still looks gorgeous one year on. It's just so luxuriant! What's the emergent plant that you can only see the stems of?



That's the massive Echinodorus - you can see it in it's infant state in the page 1 photos, now over 4 feet tall


----------



## clonitza

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - One year old!*

This is one of the scapes photo don't do much justice. I really loved your last videos and hope for another soon, maybe ask one of your tank mates to make an underwater video.


----------



## Arana

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - One year old!*

Speechless


----------



## Kristoph91

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - One year old!*

I absolutely love this, It's very unique. Well done.


----------



## Alastair

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - One year old!*

I'd have my arm chair stuck right next to that tank mate. Tv would be obsolete. I said it months ago and will say the same again and reiterate George's words. This has to be THE best tank on here and my most favourite ever. Very inspiring to many I'm sure. 
Well done mate  


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----------



## Tim Harrison

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - One year old!*

Truly remarkable, a great ambassador for soil substrates, and a refreshing antidote to formulaic and contrived aquascapes. The structural characteristics of the planting appear totally natural, which I should imagine is something of a holy grail to all nature aquarium aquascapers; yet you have achieved it through minimal intervention…genius! Just give nature a chance…


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - One year old!*

I need a bigger Bucket.

Went for a walk in the hills today, and towards the end spotted an awesome old stump that had been torn out of the ground by a bigger tree going over in the Christmas gales.






After about ten minutes of poking, yanking and pocket knifing I finally got the bugger loose and sent the girlfriend into the swamp to retrieve it. All we had to do then was carry it two and half miles back to the van.

It looks much better in the flesh than it does in the photos, but the damn thing covers a 5' x 5' footprint, and my tank is only 3' x 3'. I anticipate spending much of next week figuring out how to overcome this   

Big wood hunter (ahem):


----------



## George Farmer

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - One year old!*

Awesome! You can't beat DIY hardscape collecting.

This is my effort from a couple of years ago. I gave it to TGM, as I won't have a tank big enough until I retire!


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Giant wood crisis*

Hehe yeah, I remember that video. Thought you'd appreciate the effort!


----------



## Alastair

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Giant wood crisis*

That wood is awesome mate. Very nice. Any Erm cut offs I'll have ha ha 


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----------



## somethingfishy

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Giant wood crisis*

nice looking wood .. tempted too get a snorkle and trying bog diving in the fens


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Giant wood crisis*

Yikes!

The Bucket of Mud living up to it's name -






Total chaos (it got worse) -


----------



## sarahtermite

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Mass destruction*

Nooooo! I am sad to see this tank being dismantled.....but also quite excited to see what you replace it with. Did your liquorice gouramis ever end up breeding in there?


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Mass destruction*

Bucket Mk II - same everything, more stump 

Only going to give a sneak preview now, as have to plant and run. Will give everything six weeks to adapt to the new substrate/water parameters then tidy it up when I'm back.


----------



## Steve Smith

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Mass destruction*

Looks amazing Tom!  Great work


----------



## ghostsword

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Mass destruction*

You are good mate, you are very good! 


___________________________


----------



## Alastair

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Mass destruction*



			
				ghostsword said:
			
		

> You are good mate, you are very good!
> 
> 
> ___________________________


totally agree

What's the new substrate you've popped in Tom??


----------



## darren636

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Mass destruction*

hope your field trip goes well,   this tank is direct inspiration for my next set up, a four foot rectangle for croaking gourami and microdevario, so basically i wanna know the plants you used for the emergent growth.


----------



## Alastair

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Mass destruction*



			
				darren636 said:
			
		

> hope your field trip goes well,   this tank is direct inspiration for my next set up, a four foot rectangle for croaking gourami and microdevario, so basically i wanna know the plants you used for the emergent growth.



Ditto I've just had a 120x70x30h made to try this :0) 


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----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Mass destruction*

Darren, the riparian plants are a mix of _Anthurium_ and _Spathiphyllum_ lillies, _Maranta_ (prayer plants) and a prayer palm (_Chamaedorea elegans_ - this hasn't done so well). All bought from generic garden centres/homebase etc. There's also a large emergent _Echinodorus_.


----------



## darren636

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Mass destruction*

just re reading your journal. it is great stuff. will go for echinodorus and moisture loving ferns, think the lady fern will be too big though, maybe maidenhair will work with the humid surroundings, draping over the edges of my new (old) brass rimmed tank.  will pinch your stick-on plant holder idea though. although i already thought of that.  just figuring out which soil to use. think i will go with pond soil, hopefully it will not give off ammonia.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Mass destruction*

Don't quite have time for a full update, but here's a shot of how it looks from the front now -





I've also shuffled the livestock around a bit, so inhabitants are now 5 _Yunnanilus sp. 'rosy'_, _8 Danio erythromicron_ and 3 _Dario hysginon_ (and the otos are still in there from before).


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Mass destruction*

PS, still trying to catch one bloody licorice gourami, anyone got any super genius ideas for fish traps?


----------



## Alastair

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Mass destruction*

Wow that looks amazing now mate. I love it. I think you've given so many others aswell as me to try the low tech approach. 
Great mate and still my favourite of all tanks by far. 


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----------



## sanj

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Mass destruction*

You have got to live up to this one now that you are ordering a similar style tank Alistair. 

It is so very tempting, I think Tom you have helped popularise the low tech approach, most people would love a tank like this, i know I would.


----------



## Ady34

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Mass destruction*

This is a cool scape, and im presuming not heated so literally 'cool' also? Is that a crypt growing emersed at the right front?... doesnt even look like its attached to anything. 
I was quite fancying some erythromicron myself but read they prefer harder, alkaline water so that rules them out with my tap water being soft!   .
Cheerio, 
Ady.


----------



## Alastair

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Mass destruction*



			
				sanj said:
			
		

> You have got to live up to this one now that you are ordering a similar style tank Alistair.
> 
> It is so very tempting, I think Tom you have helped popularise the low tech approach, most people would love a tank like this, i know I would.



Thanks sanj, no pressure then lol. Tanks here now actually will be starting my journal this week . Not quite sure I'd match this but it's given me all the inspiration I need. 


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----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Mass destruction*

Hehe. Just remember Alistair that this took ages to really come to maturity. I'd really recommend planting as heavily as you can afford from the start to speed things up a bit.

Ady, I'm in a soft water area too, but have switched to hard water fish because the soil in the tank has really driven up the hardness. And it is heated to 23 degrees (might drop it a couple of degrees for the new fish); the heater is hidden in a hollow under the tree stump. Oh, and the thing on the surface at the right is a pair of echinodorus plantlets, growing on the end of a flower stalk.


----------



## grandb3rry

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

Wow, how could I miss this one! Bloody well done mate! The bestest of the best!!!


----------



## sarahtermite

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Mass destruction*



			
				BigTom said:
			
		

> I've also shuffled the livestock around a bit, so inhabitants are now 5 _Yunnanilus sp. 'rosy'_, _8 Danio erythromicron_ and 3 _Dario hysginon_ (and the otos are still in there from before).



How about some pics of your new fish, too? Pretty please?


----------



## grandb3rry

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

BigTom, quick question - where did you get this aquarium from? I love the fact that it is square and shallow!
I think there is a lot of inspiration to be taken from this setup. I for once see what a low maintenance tank should be. Now I have to attempt something similar or my life wont be complete lol


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

I'll try and get some fish photos up some time soonish Sarah.

Arthur, the tank was custom made by my LFS. Average quality build, but reasonably cheap (£150 in 10mm glass).


----------



## grandb3rry

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

Anymore pics coming?


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

Well just back from another 5 week field trip, tank and inhabitants are doing well - shrimp and Hyallela have been breeding happily, and I've just spotted a couple of _Danio erythromicron_ fry, so I guess that huge lump of spruce can't be doing too much harm.

Having said that, I might be tearing the whole thing down again - I still need to catch the last _Parosphromenus_ so I can get them breeding in another tank, and it's gone into total hiding mode after previous failed attempts at capture.

Also, am getting a bit of an itch to use this recently collected heather...


----------



## johnski

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*



			
				BigTom said:
			
		

> Also, am getting a bit of an itch to use this recently collected heather...



Forgive me but I haven't read the 25 pages of your journal lol, so I might have missed a discussion about the heather. Never seen it used in aquarium before, is this stuff that's been burnt off and you've just pulled it out the ground and chucked in a tank? 

I could probably supply the entire forum with boxes of it!


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

Yeah I've used heather collected after burnoff just fine. Works really well, looks great and lasts 1-2 years under water.

This particular boxful is collected from an area that doesn't get fired at all, so it's all just old pieces that have died naturally. Super gnarly as a result


----------



## johnski

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*



			
				BigTom said:
			
		

> Yeah I've used heather collected after burnoff just fine. Works really well, looks great and lasts 1-2 years under water.
> 
> This particular boxful is collected from an area that doesn't get fired at all, so it's all just old pieces that have died naturally. Super gnarly as a result



Nice one. I think a visit up the moors is in order asap!


----------



## Alastair

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

Check all that heather out, think I need to move location ha ha. 
Will look awesome in that tank


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----------



## sarahtermite

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

Fabulous-looking heather, and so much of it! 

Tom - when you collected the burnt heather was it black? I've got some like that, and I'm not sure if it's quite safe to use in a tank. But I guess it's only charcoal on the outside?


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*



			
				sarahtermite said:
			
		

> Fabulous-looking heather, and so much of it!
> 
> Tom - when you collected the burnt heather was it black? I've got some like that, and I'm not sure if it's quite safe to use in a tank. But I guess it's only charcoal on the outside?



The pieces I found only had the odd little bit that was obviously burnt, I guess the fire must have passed across pretty quickly. I can't immediately think of any reason why it should do harm.


----------



## Piece-of-fish

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

I love heather in the nanos. Very beautiful native hardscape material.


----------



## tim

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

just sat and re read your journal again tom cant believe it took a compliment to alistair to get you to post an update    are you really going to tear it down    will you be re scaping and continuing the journal if you do really is the most stunning low tech i ever saw in my opinion, dont fancy posting me some heather do you


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

Yeah it'll be a rescape with new plants and hardscape, but all the old inhabitants. I've got something slightly over-ambitious in mind, but seeing as the current setup isn't as good as I'd envisaged I could end up with anything


----------



## Iain Sutherland

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

hey tom, this sound interesting!  What are the inhabitants now?


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

Currently 8 _Danio erythromicron_, 5_ Yunnanilus sp 'Rosy'_, 2 _Dario hysginon_ and 4 otos (plus shrimp, _Hyallela_, etc).

Been on the lookout for a group of _Sawbwa resplendens_ as well but can't find any anywhere.


----------



## Iain Sutherland

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

those daio are nice mate.. another new one on me.  Sawbwa are really lovely, MA usually stock them or can get them.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

Yeah, no MA near me unfortunately. Might see if my slightly dubious LFS can find some.


----------



## JohnC

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

You tried Trimar in cornwall?

I did my first mail order with them the other month and all fish arrived next day, intact and excellently priced.

£13 postage means you just need to order a fair amount of things at once.

Show's you how bad its got around Edinburgh for stocking.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

Tell me about it John. All my recent purchases have either been from Colin Dunlop in Carluke or mail order through Wildwoods (bit pricier than Trimar but very impressive service). Ironically Trimar used to be my LFS when I lived in Cornwall.

You should have bought InsideOutside and let me manage it


----------



## JohnC

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

I'm driving to Aberdeen for a week on Tuesday. I'm going to check out the Dundee shops on the way.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

Took a few more shots tonight, still considering a rescape but don't think it looks too shabby now I've unclogged all the floating plants and the bottom is getting some light -


----------



## Alastair

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

Wow mate that looks awesome now, especially the last shot. A true inspiration to many. 
I'd be heart broken pulling that down. 



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----------



## Bahamuts

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

Agree with Alastair


----------



## tim

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

dont think i could tear this one down really trying to save some pennies for a nano version this is an awe inspiring tank tom still you live with it daily good bits and bad id hate to see this journal come to an end though


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

Well, I've got a whole bunch of new plants and hardscape cluttering up my room, but still in two minds about whether I'm going to redo it   

Got some lovely new fish yesterday (_Sawbwa resplendens_) which have really brought the tank alive. I should point out at this point that as there's someone home almost all the time now the fish are getting a lot more supplemental feeding, so I'm not convinced the tank is really self sustaining any more. Certainly still low input though.

My macro kit is at work at the moment so just a couple of quick snaps. I'll try and bring the macro rig home this week and get some of the danios and loaches as well.


----------



## Tim Harrison

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*



> Well, I've got a whole bunch of new plants and hardscape cluttering up my room, but still in two minds about whether I'm going to redo it


 Hi Tom, the answer is simple  :idea: all you need to do is set up another tank; then we're all happy


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*



			
				Troi said:
			
		

> Well, I've got a whole bunch of new plants and hardscape cluttering up my room, but still in two minds about whether I'm going to redo it
> 
> 
> 
> Hi Tom, the answer is simple  :idea: all you need to do is set up another tank; then we're all happy
Click to expand...


I've been trying to convince my other half of this, but sadly she's quite right that the only way we could get any more tanks in the room is if we removed the bed   

Plus we might well be moving early next year.


----------



## George Farmer

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

Hi Tom

Still one of my favourites set-ups on here, but perhaps it is time for a re-scape. 

Of course, it's always a shame to see a something so great go, but we all know that it's very likely that whatever layout you create next will be at least equal to, if not better, as no doubt you've learnt a lot during the journey and can implement any new ideas you've been pondering.

Love the latest fish selection, by the way. Do you have females in there too? They thrive in harder water if you fancy a breeding challenge...

Keep up the inspirational work.

Cheers,
George


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

Cheers George, pretty well sums up what I've been thinking.

I've got 2 female, 4 male Sawbwa (not an ideal ratio, but that was all the females they had). I'll be keeping an eye out for more females if they ever pop up locally. The tank is currently running pH 7.4 and 230-280ppm and I've spotted a couple of Danio erythromicron and Dario hysginon fry in there, so with a bit of luck might get some Sawbwa too.

I'm really hoping the Rosy loaches get at it as well, I finally find some females to add to the all male group I had but I tihnk they'll need to grow a bit first.


----------



## awtong

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

It's quite unusual to see females at all so you did quite well.  When I kept my group I only managed to get 1 female and the LFS couldn't get anymore.

They have strong colour too.  Really nice.

Andy


----------



## Alastair

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

Those fish look great mate. Really really nice. 
Have you been bitten by the rescape bug yet 


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----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

Yup, think I'm going to try and get it rescaped this weekend. It's expensive though, having to find things for the better half to do all day while I make a monumental mess in the room


----------



## Alastair

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*



			
				BigTom said:
			
		

> Yup, think I'm going to try and get it rescaped this weekend. It's expensive though, having to find things for the better half to do all day while I make a monumental mess in the room


ha ha I don't envy you in both the 'monumental mess' sense or trying to get the better half things to do. 
Are you planning on doing the whole thing on one day? That's some accomplishment if you do mate. 
Are you going for a whole new substrate idea etc too? 


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----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

I imagine it'll take all weekend. Might tear down Friday night... will be adding more substrate but hoping to reuse most of what is in there at the moment.

Still haven't quite decided what the new scape will look like, I keep getting different ideas. Will probably just spend a whole day making mud castles while trying to decide!


----------



## JohnC

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*



			
				BigTom said:
			
		

> ......Will probably just spend a whole day making mud castles.....!


----------



## Alastair

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*



			
				BigTom said:
			
		

> I imagine it'll take all weekend. Might tear down Friday night... will be adding more substrate but hoping to reuse most of what is in there at the moment.
> 
> Still haven't quite decided what the new scape will look like, I keep getting different ideas. Will probably just spend a whole day making mud castles while trying to decide!



Ha ha lol @ mud castles. Can't wait to hear/see what you do with it mate. From what youve said already its going to look amazing. I'm glued!! 


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----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

Anyone got a back-straightener?


----------



## sanj

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

I love it, but cant you just get rid of the bed and go bigger? Come on get your priorities right.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

All change! After a rather intense afternoon and evening yesterday of unplanting, fish catching, water emptying, substrate separating, hardscaping, hours of replanting and finally refilling and restocking, I now have a... er, bucket of cloudy soup   

Here's a little teaser whilst we wait for everything to clear -


----------



## tim

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

wow huge change lookin good cant wait for updates hows the back tom


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

Heh, pretty stiff this morning to be honest. Planting about 25 pots worth of hairgrass and Lilaeopsis was a killer!


----------



## darren636

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

now that is different.


----------



## johnski

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - Stumpy*

Sad to see this stripped down, but that's a huge change and will look just as good no doubt.

I demand more pictures!


----------



## MisterB

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

love the difference in the 2 set-ups, very interested to see how this new set-up turns out 

good work Tom, keep on inspiring us


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

Cheers chaps. More photos will come once the water has cleared... this scape should hopefully have a lot of depth so want to get the view crystal clear - the teaser shot is just a 12" view from one of the back corners.


----------



## Alastair

*Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

That's a very nice bucket of cloudy soup so far mate. Really looking forward to seeing what you've done with it once it clears........the anticipation!!!!!!!  


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----------



## Iain Sutherland

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

This looks mighty interesting Tom! Love the wood, very atmospheric! What happened to all the trifids etc..
Cloudy soup is quite impressive.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*



			
				easerthegeezer said:
			
		

> This looks mighty interesting Tom! Love the wood, very atmospheric! What happened to all the trifids etc..
> Cloudy soup is quite impressive.



Currently trying to figure out which, if any, of the riaprian plants I'm going to keep. I'm trying out a couple of native pond plants - _Hippuris vulgaris_ and _Equisetum somethingorother_ - as emergents this time.


----------



## sarahtermite

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

Already loving the wood.


----------



## faizal

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

I am sorry Tom but this is the first time I have completely read your journal from the first page to the very last. I used to just admire your pictures before that. The interest was rekindled after reading Alaistair's journal. I must say,..that I am speechless & that's just saying the least. The patience that was required of you in maintaining such a tank must have been phenomenal.

The new scape is amazing.    I love the depth that you have created. Looking forward to seeing more new pictures.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

Thanks Faizal - I think the patience was made easier by the fact that I'm away from home nearly 50% of the time. However, with only one more field trip to go I've been chomping at the bit to do something different with it. In an ideal world I'd have left it running as a self-sustaining setup and bought another tnak, but I would literally have been hung up by my testicles if I did that 

Annoyingly the rescape is taking forever to clear, might be a while before I get more photos.


----------



## awtong

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

Will you rename the scape now?  Craggy tree maybe?

Such a different concept and I also cannot wait to see it progress.

Andy


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

Yeah, considering rebooting with a whole new thread. I think it's far enough removed from the original concept that it deserves a fresh start.


----------



## Iain Sutherland

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

I long long journals, especially when this journal feels like its as much about the tank and how its used, think you need a new tank before a new journal     Maybe a little index on page one...
Looking forward to the release of new pics


----------



## Kristoph91

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

More pics please Tom. Looks mysterious!


----------



## darren636

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

keep the journal going


----------



## Alastair

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

I'd be tempted to start a new journal but then again this has been a very inspirational thread and one that I've never tired of reading so in a sense if kept running it would be great to see the tank going through two very different transformations. 



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----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

Patience please! The addition of extra substrate means its taking forever to clear, even with daily 90% water changes...


----------



## Iain Sutherland

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

twice daily water changes please, chop chop   

i'm sure it will be worth the wait.


----------



## Kristoph91

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*



			
				easerthegeezer said:
			
		

> twice daily water changes please, chop chop


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

Well, I went away to Cornwall for 5 days, and arrived home last night to a crystal clear tank.

Chucked some pellets in this morning, and within 2 minutes there was a massive plume of mud wafting around the tank  from the loaches  

This tells me 2 things - firstly, I really should have washed the old sand again before reusing it, and perhaps it's time I bought a filter.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

Getting there... looking forward to external filter and inline heater arriving next week.


----------



## Alastair

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

Looking great so far Tom, can't wait for some full tank shots. 
What's the plant list. 
Are you going for the 300w inline then? 


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----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

Yeah ordered the 300w and some 16-12mm reducers.

Main plants are...

E. acicularis
L. brasiliensis and mauritania
M. pteropus 'trident'
Various crypts
Equisetum hymale
Hippuris vulgaris

Then a few other things in small amounts scattered around.


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

Righto, quick video here. Tank is still refusing to clear fully, but figured I should document the start of the rescape anyway - hopefully when I'm next home at the end of September everything will be crystal clear!

All the carpeting plants are beginning their slow spread, which is very pleasing.

http://vimeo.com/47250435


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

Hmm, anyone know what the vimeo embedding doesn't work automatically anymore?

Edit - sorted!


----------



## Alastair

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

Wow mate, it's looking great, the depth looks massive in it. 


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----------



## hydrophyte

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

That is wonderful Tom. I agree with Alastair that is amazing visual depth in there. It looks more like the view into a pond than a fish tank.

What are those rasbora-like fish with the orange heads?


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

Cheers guys. Yeah, I've spent a lot of time trying to come up with a scape I like which would look good from 3 sides, and in the end gave up and decided to maximise the perception of depth from a single view. It works really nicely in the flesh, but the cloudy water and low light makes conveying it on film quite tricky.

The fish with the orange heads are male _Sawbwa resplendens _(the females are smaller and plain silver). Really excellent fish for the planted aquaria.


----------



## Matt1988

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

Just read the whole thing it's amazing to see how it's changed since page one. I would love a tank like this one day but the wife would never agree to that was hard enough to get a 100/40/50 into the living room decoration plan 

Matt


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

Just back from my final field trip... frankly amazed by how good the tank is looking after 6 weeks of only fish feeding and water top ups by flatmates. Everything is growing in nicely and there's nothing unsightly except a smidge of green spot algae to clear up, which I was worried about as I lowered the light 6 inches before going away.

However, the experimental pond plants have all died off, sadly. Should have listened to Darrel 

So, needs a bit of a rescape to reintroduce some height to the back corners, but otherwise pretty happy so far. Will post more pics once my LEDs arrive and I've sorted a more elegant lighting rig next week.


----------



## Kristoph91

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

Looks superb.


----------



## Alastair

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

Looks awesome already Tom, especially for 6 weeks of no interference. What sort of spread do you get from the 70w halide??? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

As ever, total neglect seems to be the way forward 

Al, the halide covers the whole 3x3 (some fall-off in the corners) from about 2.5 feet above the substrate without too much spillage. No idea what height I'm going to need to rig the LED, hopefully not too low... will angle it from the front a bit if so, I think.


----------



## hydrophyte

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

That looks great Tom! The underwater planting is superb.

What is that big plant growing out of the water? Is it a _Spathiphyllum_?


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

Cheers hydro. Yeah, just a cheap _Spathiphyllum_ from a home hardware shop. It stayed really small for 2 years until I removed the other emergents and it finally got some light, and since then it's just gone bananas.


----------



## OllieNZ

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

Looking good BigTom.
Have you thought about trying something like H. Corymbosa? Mine routinely grows out of the water from the substrate 40cm below the surface.


----------



## tim

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

that does look stunning tom is the spathiphyllum planted or do you just have the roots in water


----------



## BigTom

*Re: Tom's Bucket O' Mud - All change!*

Right! Amazingly I've managed to get my blahblahblahblah in gear enough for a bit of a video update. Very happy with how things are progressing. Plants and livestock doing well, except for the Mexican gammarus which are being hunted with much enthusiasm by the Peacock gudgeons I added recently.

As you can see, the Hydrocotyle tripartita has gone berserk. Love it.

http://vimeo.com/54645045

Edit - Just noticed Quicktime has done its usual trick of making everything look dark and washed out - fixing now but will take a couple of hours to render and upload.


----------



## BigTom

Hurrah, working again now. Sorry about that.

Please click through to watch the 720p version, much sharper.

http://vimeo.com/54645045


----------



## O'Neil

WOW!


----------



## Tim Harrison

Flippin' splendid :!:


----------



## Alastair

Awesome.........looks fantastic Tom 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## stu_

superb mate.
The colour of the _Sawbwa Resplendens_ ? is fab


----------



## BigTom

Cheers all. Figured it was due an update!



			
				stu_ said:
			
		

> superb mate.
> The colour of the _Sawbwa Resplendens_ ? is fab



Yeah, they're stunning fish when they're in good condition. They always look much drabber when I've seen them in fish shops.


----------



## OllieNZ

Really nice Tom. What are the shrimp in the video?


----------



## BigTom

OllieNZ said:
			
		

> Really nice Tom. What are the shrimp in the video?



I've got cherries and _Caradina simoni simoni_ (the ones in the video). Very easy to keep and are outbreeding the cherries at the moment. Nice understated shrimp.


----------



## OllieNZ

Cheers Tom


----------



## xtevo

Finally an update...  That's amazing, simply amazing. That small details, are so natural. I can watch the whole tank for hours, without noticing the time. One of my favorite of all time (this and the previous layout also)


----------



## ghostsword

You have the nicest nature aquarium that I have ever seen.. superb!!!


----------



## paulsouthuk

Hi Tom very exciting idea!! Working with nature has to be the best. Where did you source your athropods and slimey critters? I'm very interested in setting up a tank along these lines. Great job!


----------



## BigTom

ghostsword said:
			
		

> You have the nicest nature aquarium that I have ever seen.. superb!!!



Blimey Luis, let's not get carried away! Thanks though.



			
				paulsouthuk said:
			
		

> Hi Tom very exciting idea!! Working with nature has to be the best. Where did you source your athropods and slimey critters? I'm very interested in setting up a tank along these lines. Great job!



Hi Paul. I got the Mexican gammarus (Hyallela azteca) from Colin Dunlop, he's still got a colony going I think - http://www.thefishhut.co.uk/. I also added various daphnia from a guy who sometimes advertises as 'Daphnia Direct' on aquarist-classifieds.co.uk. Most of the other stuff just turned up of it's own accord.



			
				xtevo said:
			
		

> Finally an update...  That's amazing, simply amazing. That small details, are so natural. I can watch the whole tank for hours, without noticing the time. One of my favorite of all time (this and the previous layout also)



Thanks Steve, I do tend to spend an inordinate amount of time with my nose pressed to the glass - poor fish!


----------



## ghostsword

Dude, the tank is just perfect.. and because it is so deep one can easily get lost on it.. 

I do not know what I would do differently on such a nice tank..


----------



## paulsouthuk

Well I'd just like to understand how it works. The decomposing leaves and the rest of your cretures form an ecosystem supplying carbon, nitrate to your plants. Do the daphnia thrive even though you have fish??? It is a great tank and an even better idea. Iam struggling with algae a CO2 system misting my tank and still leggy stem plants and melting stems even though I have upgraded my filter to an aquamanta efx400. Would some of the mexican gammerus help with cleaning duties in a, dare I say it, a normal tank???


----------



## BigTom

paulsouthuk said:
			
		

> Well I'd just like to understand how it works. The decomposing leaves and the rest of your cretures form an ecosystem supplying carbon, nitrate to your plants. Do the daphnia thrive even though you have fish??? It is a great tank and an even better idea. Iam struggling with algae a CO2 system misting my tank and still leggy stem plants and melting stems even though I have upgraded my filter to an aquamanta efx400. Would some of the mexican gammerus help with cleaning duties in a, dare I say it, a normal tank???



Firstly I should re-emphasise that the tank in its current incarnation is not self sustaining. That stopped being necessary once my girlfriend moved in and could look after the fish while I was away. The tank now is a normal low tech, soil based tank like many others. The plants primarily get their nutrients from the soil, fish waste and I also dose a standard fert mix about once a week now.

Back when it was self sustaining, the fish stocking was extremely light, and there was a much greater amount of microfauna visible. Under these conditions, some of the daphnia continued to thrive (the smaller benthic species, rather than the larger swimming ones like pulex and magna, which were quickly picked off by the fish). Baby shrimp and gammarus provided another very important food source, and there were also lots of assorted other microfauna such as seed shrimp, freshwater limpets, cyclops etc which appeared 'spontaneously'. As for the plants, they still continued to get the bulk of their nutrients form the soil substrate.

As for whether gammarus would be useful as tank cleaners - I would say probably. They mainly feed on dead and decaying plant matter and other detritus, rather than algae though. And they won't solve whatever issues you are having with co2/light/flow! Which I'm afraid I can't comment on really, as I have never used CO2.


----------



## BigTom

ghostsword said:
			
		

> Dude, the tank is just perfect.. and because it is so deep one can easily get lost on it..
> 
> I do not know what I would do differently on such a nice tank..



Thanks Luis. Yeah, the sense of depth is something I'm very happy with, and really concentrated on in the layout - previously I'd tried to get the tank to look good from 3 different sides, and was never really happy with it. The current layout is all about maximising depth from a single persepective, which is much more successful I think.


----------



## ghostsword

BigTom said:
			
		

> ghostsword said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dude, the tank is just perfect.. and because it is so deep one can easily get lost on it..
> 
> I do not know what I would do differently on such a nice tank..
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks Luis. Yeah, the sense of depth is something I'm very happy with, and really concentrated on in the layout - previously I'd tried to get the tank to look good from 3 different sides, and was never really happy with it. The current layout is all about maximising depth from a single persepective, which is much more successful I think.
Click to expand...


Yeah, that depth is what makes the scape magical, you done an amazing job with it.  

Very interested on the microfauna, a can really imagine a tank that big just dedicated to little critters.


----------



## BigTom

Got a couple of shots of the rosy loaches (_Yunnanilus sp._ 'Rosy') chilling out while I had the camera pointed at the tank - just messing around with a new cheapish flash setup really, but I don't think I've posted many shots of them before, and they really are lovely little fish:











And an oto hiding in a dell amongst the _Lilleaopsis_ -


----------



## tim

Tanks amazing Tom and your choice of fauna species is on another level this is definately on my bucket list of tanks to copy so to speak


----------



## hydrophyte

That video is lovely Tom!

And those are such creative fish photos that you got.

I like those rosy loaches.


----------



## BigTom

Just about to do a bit of a trim actually. Hydrocotyle needs a serious kicking.


----------



## leonroy

Beautiful scape Tom, sorry if I missed it but what's the substrate you're using for new tank? Same John Innes capped with playsand?


----------



## BigTom

It's now a mix of Westland's aquatic compost, 'Original Aqua Soil' (pond soil sold in blue bags) and extra grit, capped with sand.


----------



## BigTom

Blatantly stealing an idea form Killi, I've recently added a little Ikea clip on LED light for evening viewing. Much better for the fish, and makes the tank look wonderfully mysterious.











As usual, the plants are completely out of control. I'm letting them fight it out


----------



## Nathaniel Whiteside

Glad to see you put lots of effort into the update tom 

It really is looking nice in there though! Wow.

Nice one.


----------



## BigTom

Heh, the update status is from ages ago. But yes, pretty rare still


----------



## Nathaniel Whiteside

I think you should try harder. Get some nice fauna shots every couple of weeks


----------



## BigTom

Can't see any fauna, too many plants.


----------



## hydrophyte

I agree you can get really nice effects with dim lighting. And certain fish (especially cichlids) also show much brighter colors in darker light.


----------



## Gfish

That really is looking beautiful Tom. So good!


----------



## Alastair

I agree mate that looks fantastic.


----------



## BigTom

Cheers. I really like it, reminds me of the morning light I used to get slanting through the tank when it was in the window.

10 quid well spent I reckon, everyone should have one!


----------



## Alastair

BigTom said:


> Cheers. I really like it, reminds me of the morning light I used to get slanting through the tank when it was in the window.
> 
> 10 quid well spent I reckon, everyone should have one!




Already got the ikea page bookmarked ha ha


----------



## Westyggx

Where can't find this link?


----------



## BigTom

Westyggx said:


> Where can't find this link?


 
Was from killi69's thread. JANSJÖ LED clamp spotlight - black  - IKEA

I'm sure there are any number of alternatives.


----------



## killi69

Really nice Tom. From the link it seems you choose just one colour with this LED right? Which did you go for?

Link to my thread re variable colour LED strips in case of use for anyone...


----------



## BigTom

killi69 said:


> Really nice Tom. From the link it seems you choose just one colour with this LED right? Which did you go for?
> 
> Link to my thread re variable colour LED strips in case of use for anyone...


 

The lamp itself is black (plenty of colours to choose from), the light is quite warm (about 3000k I'd guess), which gives it a nice 'golden hour' feel. I'm not a huge fan of cold blue moonlights.


----------



## BigTom

Nice little addition to the tank this week in the form of a flower stalk from each of the _Aponogeton crispus 'red'_. They looked pretty uninspiring at first but are developing into something rather lovely.


----------



## killi69

Very nice Tom.  I had some appear on mine but cut them off before they flowered as someone told me Aponogetons die after flowering.  Do you know whether this is true for the crispus red varieties?


----------



## BigTom

killi69 said:


> Very nice Tom. I had some appear on mine but cut them off before they flowered as someone told me Aponogetons die after flowering. Do you know whether this is true for the crispus red varieties?


 
Blimey, I hope not! The plants are looking fantastic at the moment. Wonder if George knows, his flowered a while back I seem to remember.


----------



## ghostsword

The aponogeton do not die after flowering.


----------



## BigTom

Just the reply I was looking for! And a bit of a google seems to confirm it... I suppose its possible that in some cases the plants might flower if they are on their last legs as a last ditch reproductive effort? Shouldn't think that's the case with my monsters though.


----------



## dw1305

Hi all,


BigTom said:


> form of a flower stalk from each of the Aponogeton crispus 'red'


Try pollinating them, you need a fine paint brush, and just rub it up and down the flower spikes. I'm not sure which _Aponogeton_ I have  (ordinary _A. crispus_ probably, white flower, single spike, self fertile), but they flower all the time and set plenty of seed. It takes about 6 weeks to mature after pollination, the fertile fruit are large green and "square" angular, and they germinate straight away.

I've not noticed any health effects from letting them fruit.

cheers Darrel


----------



## Alastair

great shot tom. very nice


----------



## BigTom

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Try pollinating them, you need a fine paint brush, and just rub it up and down the flower spikes. I'm not sure which _Aponogeton_ I have (ordinary _A. crispus_ probably, white flower, single spike, self fertile), but they flower all the time and set plenty of seed. It takes about 6 weeks to mature after pollination, the fertile fruit are large green and "square" angular, and they germinate straight away.
> 
> I've not noticed any health effects from letting them fruit.
> 
> cheers Darrel


 
Cheers Darrel.

Gave that a go this morning, then spotted something giving me a helping hand -


----------



## dw1305

Hi all,
Cute, good news is that it doesn't look like a Carpet Beetle (_Anthrenus verbasci_), the adults like flowers, but the larvae like woolly carpets. They have clubbed antennae, but a dome shaped, patterned elytra. It might be a Pollen Beetle, again because of the clubbed antennae, but it looks a bit long in the body.

You could try "A simple key to the commoner families of British beetles" - <http://www.wildlifebcn.org/sites/bcnp.live.wt.precedenthost.co.uk/files/files/BeetleFamKey1.pdf>.

cheers Darrel


----------



## ghostsword

It would be so cool if you get some seeds.. not sure how you would germinate them.. but cool..


----------



## dw1305

Hi all,


ghostsword said:


> It would be so cool if you get some seeds.. not sure how you would germinate them.. but cool..


On the scape I left originally the seeds germinated as soon as they had fallen off. It took me a while to work out what they were, as the fruit were still green and it looked like vegetative propagation from a bulbil. The next time I kept an eye on the scape, and they definitely were seeds, not bulbils.

I would expect that seed from Tom's plant would either show a range of colours from green through to the original red, or possibly would be all green or all red, dependent upon the genetic control of leaf pigment (presumably anthocyanins).

cheers Darrel


----------



## ghostsword

Darrel, 

Did the seeds germinate when falling into the tank, or on a mud substrate?


----------



## dw1305

Hi all,


ghostsword said:


> Did the seeds germinate when falling into the tank, or on a mud substrate?


Luis, I just found them in a little pile by the filter sponge, green cuboid seeds, about as big as match head, with a small green shoot starting to grow out (a bit like a _Nymphaea_ bulb when it starts growing). They didn't have any roots (roots normally develop before shoots on seeds) and must have germinated soon after they were shed, or possibly while they were still attached to the flowering scape. I tend really have any space to grow them on, so I pushed them into gaps in the sand in the tank, but that was the last I saw of them.

I've hopefully pollinated another scape, and I'll keep a better eye on this one, and try and grow a few on.

cheers Darrel


----------



## ghostsword

Thanks for sharing.. very interesting indeed.


----------



## BigTom

Will keep an eye on mine, hopefully will get a few seeds. I've also got a big sponge on the filter intake so they'll probably end up in there or in the matt of ferns at the surface.


----------



## BigTom

Put together a quick video yesterday showing the nightlight and the halide coming on and a few creature shots.

Recently moved the _Brachygobius_ across from their nano as I changed my mind on their ID from soft water _aggregatus_ to more brackish _doriae/sabanus_ (erring towards the latter)_,_ so figured they'd enjoy the hard water. They've settled in nicely and quickly usurped the 10 times larger peacock gobies from their favorite spot!

Forgive the messy emersed section and the still to be planted intake sponge, they're on the to do list.


----------



## ghostsword

Dude... I reiterate.. this is the best, most amazing, and true to the title of Nature Aquarium.. 

I am sure that even the fish are fooled in thinking that they are in a river somewhere.. 

Gob-smacked.. this is what I will be aiming at getting in the next couple of years.. Truly inspirational.


----------



## LondonDragon

Truly amazing this tank, I have a perfect corner for something like this, so tempting! When can we do a tour?


----------



## Ady34

yep.....unbelievable aquarium. 
Love the video position pause to show the sunrise effect from the lighting transitions. The Sawaba Resplendens? popping out from under the ferns and cryptocoryne looked like such natural behaviour, and even more so the last angle where you could see the fish darting to the surface as if picking off insects in nature.
Thanks for the video 
Cheerio,
Ady.


----------



## BigTom

ghostsword said:


> Dude... I reiterate.. this is the best, most amazing, and true to the title of Nature Aquarium..
> 
> I am sure that even the fish are fooled in thinking that they are in a river somewhere..
> 
> Gob-smacked.. this is what I will be aiming at getting in the next couple of years.. Truly inspirational.


 
Thanks man. I still wish that I had the restraint to make it a proper biotope, and that there was a bit more breeding going on. Other than that (and a perpetual battle against cloudy water from the unwashed grit I mixed with the soil) I'm very happy with it.



LondonDragon said:


> Truly amazing this tank, I have a perfect corner for something like this, so tempting! When can we do a tour?


 
Hah, if you're ever in Edinburgh then feel free to pop in for a cuppa. Beauty of this tank is that it really is low maintenance... I probably spend 10 mins a week doing the odd water change and that's about it, so no reason not to have one if you've got space!


----------



## Gill

This is so Tranquil and the BBG make a great addition to the scape.
Just had to share this Vid


----------



## ghostsword

I will do one, lots of space in Cape Town..  Truly an inspiration.. 

I am usually a guy with lots of imagination, but this tank surpasses all I could have dreamed.. You did good... you did good..

Please keep sharing the videos..


----------



## BigTom

Ady34 said:


> yep.....unbelievable aquarium.
> Love the video position pause to show the sunrise effect from the lighting transitions. The Sawaba Resplendens? popping out from under the ferns and cryptocoryne looked like such natural behaviour, and even more so the last angle where you could see the fish darting to the surface as if picking off insects in nature.
> Thanks for the video
> Cheerio,
> Ady.


 
Cheers Ady. I think I prefer watching the tank with just the little LED on. Beats having the halide on 15 hours a day anyway. Must admit I had to drop some food in to tempt the _Sawbwa_ out... they normally spend a couple of hours every morning sparring, then when they've figured out who's boss for the day go back to lurking under the ferns until I put food in.



Gill said:


> This is so Tranquil and the BBG make a great addition to the scape.
> Just had to share this Vid


 
Yeah the bumblebees are awesome little fish. 2cms long but more personality than anything else in the tank. Hopefully going to try them in brackish somewhere down the line to see if I can get them breeding, seems to be very hit and miss though.


----------



## tim

Outstanding Tom really nice videos mate tank just gets better over time, just superb


----------



## Iain Sutherland

well thats the dogs danglies.  Another cracking slice of nature youve created there Tom. Respect


----------



## Alastair

Looks awesome tom. Very natural. My face would be glued to
The glass if I was there. Still as inspirational as when I very first read this journal mate


----------



## BigTom

Cheers chaps. Al, I'm definitely going to make the effort to stop off and see yours the next time I'm heading south. Whats your ETA on getting set up again?


----------



## Alastair

BigTom said:


> Cheers chaps. Al, I'm definitely going to make the effort to stop off and see yours the next time I'm heading south. Whats your ETA on getting set up again?



Definitely mate. Your welcome anytime. Not sure how filled in it will look when you do but the tank should be back a week Saturday and will be getting it all planted up that day 
I've had to order a fresh 80 litre of substrate as last lot got ruined taking it down ready for repair


----------



## BigTom

Well I've suspected for a while that my cherry shrimp population is pretty mongrel... have had a few really dark red, almost black looking females, and now today I spotted my first completely blue 'cherry'. Any shrimp experts fancy a guess as to what they've hybridised with?


----------



## Nathaniel Whiteside

BigTom said:


> Well I've suspected for a while that my cherry shrimp population is pretty mongrel... have had a few really dark red, almost black looking females, and now today I spotted my first completely blue 'cherry'. Any shrimp experts fancy a guess as to what they've hybridised with?



I know not. But that is Cool.


----------



## Iain Sutherland

Just £45 each Nath... Roll up.

Tom, maybe you get to name it


----------



## BigTom

_Neocaridina heteropoda_ var. 'Viagra'?


----------



## Derek Tweedie

Thats a cracking video, love the Asian rummy noses. I know someone who bred BBG all I know is it wasn't easy.


----------



## Palm Tree

Seriously you need to start selectively breeding those blue shrimp, they look amazing


----------



## BigTom

One or two of you may recall that some time back in June last year I bought a Kessil a150 'Amazon Sun' from the members market here, from a guy in Australia. Well, thanks to the combined incompetence of both the Australian and British postal systems (ParcelFarce, I'm looking at you), it arrived yesterday! It's been around the world at least 4 times, and in the end we had to resort to having the guy's Mum bring it back to the UK in her luggage.

Anyway, I know a few people are interested in these lights so thought I'd do a quick comparison with my trusty 70w metal halide. Both lights were suspended 50cm above the water, camera was on a tripod and in manual mode, with white balance set to 4150K which best matched my perception of the room without either tank light on. I think the results give a fairly good idea of the rendition of the two units, but make sure you're viewing them in a colour managed browser (ie, not Chrome or IE) if you want an accurate view.

Impressions so far after 2 days with it.... overall I like it. It's very small and means I'll be able to retire my somewhat ugly lighting frame and get a more minimalist fitting of some sort. The colour rendition is pretty good (I tried one of those cheap ebay floodlight LEDs once and it was ghastly, this is much better and nicely contrasty without giving harsh shadows).

The one major issue I have with it is the noise of the little 40mm fan - it's louder than my quite powerful PC and you can hear it over pretty much anything else in the room. Definitely enough to be annoying in a bedroom. I've opened the can up and it looks like its a standard PC northbridge style fan, so I've ordered a supposedly quiet replacement fan and I'm hoping it'll be pretty straightforward to swap out.

So... 70w halide with (I_ think_) a 6000k bulb in -





And the Kessil a150 (rated as 6700K) -






So, not actually much different!

Afraid I don't have a par meter to check that, but visually it looks similarly bright to my 70w halide. Photoshop reckons the cropped underwater section of the image is about 20% brighter with the Kessil, which seems believable, although that's a pretty spurious metric by anyone's standards.


----------



## tim

Hand delivered from Australia, no wonder it took 10 months to get here  looks like a good unit Tom does look slightly brighter even on I phone the gravel at the front looks more illuminated. Glad you got it mate if anything just so you had to post a shot of this stunning tank ( which you don't do enough) must be due a video next to show off the shimmer effect from the kessil


----------



## BigTom

I don't have a whole lot of surface movement at the front of the tank so the shimmer isn't terribly noticeable, but it seems fairly comparable to what you get from halides... shadows generally are a bit more defined and contrasty on account of the smaller point source.


----------



## tim

Good info Tom. Ill try anything to get a vid of one of my favourite tanks on here


----------



## Ian Holdich

Just watched the vid, as I missed it! What a great vid! 

As for the shrimp, that's gotta be worth £100 easily. Looking great Tom!


----------



## sa80mark

Just seen this journal and its a brilliant read, the video is fantastic truly stunning aquarium and great choice of fish, I can only hope that one day ill have a tank even half as good

Mark


----------



## LondonDragon

BigTom said:


> The one major issue I have with it is the noise of the little 40mm fan - it's louder than my quite powerful PC and you can hear it over pretty much anything else in the room. Definitely enough to be annoying in a bedroom. I've opened the can up and it looks like its a standard PC northbridge style fan, so I've ordered a supposedly quiet replacement fan and I'm hoping it'll be pretty straightforward to swap out.


I tried one of these units and have to agree with the noise, will be interested in the follow up to the replacement fan Tom, the only reason I am sending it back (on Tuesday) is the noise to be honest, as I watch a lot of movies in the living room and this is too off putting. I did like the colour of the light also, they are perfect for anything up to 60cm tanks using the arm, up to 80cm you will need to hang it for good coverage, bigger than this you will need more than one, the colour rendition is good also, but the arm supplied it bulky and ugly, needs some work on that. Keep us updated with the fan swap 

Tank is looking great as always


----------



## BigTom

Yeah the fan should be arriving on Tuesday so I'll update the thread then. Might want to hold off a day on returning yours just in case its a success?


----------



## LondonDragon

BigTom said:


> Yeah the fan should be arriving on Tuesday so I'll update the thread then. Might want to hold off a day on returning yours just in case its a success?


For my tank I would need two units so that would be way too expensive to get two and I already have a T5 unit that will do for now, thinking of getting a new tank also and will evaluate the options then. Might not happen until the summer now anyway.


----------



## BigTom

Fair enough. Not sure I'd be keen to be voiding the warranty right out the box if I'd paid new price anyway!


----------



## BigTom

OK, some things I have learned about electronics (from a starting position of zilch a few days ago);

1. The fan in the Kessil is a fairly standard 40x40x20mm affair. Physically very easy to find a replacement.
2. However, it runs at 24v instead of 12v like most computer fans.
3. You can run the standard fan at half speed or a 12v fan if you wire in a LM7812 voltage regulator. This is very easy to do - ideally involves a spot of soldering or you can bodge it like me with electrical tape.
4. The half speed stock fan still pushes more air than the 12v northbridge fan I tried.
5. Doing the above will drastically reduce fan noise, and runs the unit cool enough not to cause any issue (short term at least). However, the unit does run considerably hotter so you're probably shortening the life span of the LEDs from the rated 13 years to...... who knows.
6. Running the unit without a fan at all causes it to switch off after about 10 minutes when it gets too hot. Good safety feature.
7. Accidentally crossing the red and black wires going to the fan whilst its switched on causes a burning smell and the death of a fuse on the circuit board, which renders the entire fan circuit kaput.
8. After a lot of swearing you can run a second power cable for the fan directly to that old mobile phone charger that's been sat in your drawer for about 8 years, because it just so happens to be 12v DC.

So in summary; if the terrible buzz from the Kessil fan is setting your teeth on edge, you can easily fix it by wiring in a 12v regulator as detailed here - AVForums.com - View Single Post - Behringer amps, x-over and parametric EQ units and hence running the stock fan half speed, or replacing with another fan of your choice. The downside is that the unit will be hotter, probably reducing its lifespan.

Can't help but feel Kessil should have made the case large enough to fit a 60mm fan and larger heatsink; would have made cooling much easier and quiter with only a minor increase in bulk.


----------



## Steve Smith

It might also be worth trying to make the air vent holes bigger, as some of the noise could be the sound of air blowing past these.  I certainly remember hacking metal grates off the back of PC cases back in my PC modding days, trying to make silent PCs.  Can you run the fan with out the casing on to see how much noise it makes?  (Casing will be necessary though, to draw the air around the bulb/circuitry, so you won't be able to ditch the outer casing completely)


----------



## BigTom

I had considered that, but not convinced I could make a neat job of it and I'd need to invest in a dremel or something. The stock fan is incredibly loud even out of the case (sounds like someone in the next room using a hairdryer).

It's running quietly and stable now, just hotter than before.


----------



## darren636

hi tom,  do you think danio erythromicron would be ok at 200 ppm hardness?  i


----------



## BigTom

darren636 said:


> hi tom, do you think danio erythromicron would be ok at 200 ppm hardness? i


 
Yup, sounds fine to me.


----------



## darren636

Seems strange that seriously fish would have different parameters for sawbwa and erythromicron- they come from the same water!


----------



## BigTom

darren636 said:


> Seems strange that seriously fish would have different parameters for sawbwa and erythromicron- they come from the same water!


 
Well, the discrepancy isn't terribly large and they might have pulled the figures from different sources. Or their distributions in the Inle watershed could be a bit different.


----------



## BigTom

I recently moved a trio of Sawbwa out of the main tank and into a 25l with a mesh bottom and dropped the temperature right down to 18 degrees to see if I could get them to spawn. Spotted a few eggs scattered around...

Freshly laid -





And a wee video of the first free swimming fry that I saw today (tiny!) -


----------



## BigTom

And as I had the macro kit out already, a closeup of one of the many freshwater limpets that are in all my tanks -


----------



## faizal

Nice videos there. . Such clarity. Congratulations on the new arrivals Big Tom.


----------



## BigTom

Cheers. The super closeup videos are pretty tricky... 1:1 macro lens with a 4x magnifier on the front and then use the magic ETC mode on the GH2 which uses just the centre 1920x1080 pixels for a further 2.6x mag.... handheld in low light.


----------



## BigTom

Few more shots while I'm at it -


----------



## Iain Sutherland

thats great tom, are the conditions in the nano the same as the bucket aside temp?  As im currently thinking about soft/hard water, your bucket seems to keep the sawbwa happy yet thought you had hard water?
Are you leaving the fry to their own devises?


----------



## BigTom

Iain Sutherland said:


> thats great tom, are the conditions in the nano the same as the bucket aside temp? As im currently thinking about soft/hard water, your bucket seems to keep the sawbwa happy yet thought you had hard water?
> Are you leaving the fry to their own devises?


 
Yeah the nano is just filled with water from the main tank. Sawbwa and most of the rest of the fish I keep now are from Lake Inle and other hard(ish) water habitats. For the record, my tap water is fairly soft but the soil in the tank raises the pH and TDS.

Might take the adult fish out tomorrow if the other eggs start hatching... they're voracious egg and fry eaters.


----------



## Iain Sutherland

those pics are awesome! Even though the description of how you did them may as well be in arabic 
the bucket pics always looks like youve been somewhere nice and taken them in the wild.


----------



## dw1305

Hi all,


BigTom said:


> I recently moved a trio of Sawbwa out of the main tank and into a 25l with a mesh bottom and dropped the temperature right down to 18 degrees to see if I could get them to spawn. Spotted a few eggs scattered around...


That is brilliant Tom, do you know if they have been spawned many times before in captivity?

cheers Darrel


----------



## BigTom

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> That is brilliant Tom, do you know if they have been spawned many times before in captivity?
> 
> cheers Darrel


 
There's a guy over on Seriously Fish who's had some success, and a couple of other reports on google, but not much. Not sure how raising these guys will go - just going to trust to microfauna until they're big enough for microworms I think.


----------



## Steve Smith

Amazing photos as always Tom, but this one could have been from National Geographic or something!  Beautiful 



BigTom said:


>


----------



## BigTom

Cheers Steve. Was fun trying to create an illusion of depth in only 10" of water.


----------



## NanoJames

Wow, those macro shots of the fish faces are spectacular! Well done with the fry too!


----------



## faizal

Tom,...I am going asking this at the risk of sounding really dumb but i would like to ask it anyways,..beacuse i just don't understand it. Everytime (well,...twice to be exact) i tried to grow the mini java fern in a low tech set up,...they developed holes & slowly died away. Never putting out new shoots,..I am talking about bullet ridden like holes on the leaves.  I was finally just left with an empty rhizome which I threw away. I only had one piddly T8 tube mounted on my last tank. You had a halide for god's sake,...and how do they look so lush?!!!! Is there something i'm missing? Was it the increased water hardness caused by that stone that you pulled out, providing the carbonates for these plants ( mini java ferns,..that i see i think) that could have made them flourish so well?


----------



## Alastair

[quote="BigTom, post: 280818, member: 2721"







[/quote]

Amazing shots mate. This one reminds me of one of the deep sea fish that live in almost zero light.


----------



## BigTom

faizal said:


> Tom,...I am going asking this at the risk of sounding really dumb but i would like to ask it anyways,..beacuse i just don't understand it. Everytime (well,...twice to be exact) i tried to grow the mini java fern in a low tech set up,...they developed holes & slowly died away. Never putting out new shoots,..I am talking about bullet ridden like holes on the leaves. I was finally just left with an empty rhizome which I threw away. I only had one piddly T8 tube mounted on my last tank. You had a halide for god's sake,...and how do they look so lush?!!!! Is there something i'm missing? Was it the increased water hardness caused by that stone that you pulled out, providing the carbonates for these plants ( mini java ferns,..that i see i think) that could have made them flourish so well?


 
Well it's mainly trident java fern in mine, but I've also got mini and narrow/needle leaf and they all seem to largely behave the same. I have seen very heavy deterioration/melting a few times when moving ferns between tanks with quite different parameters. However, they normally either produce lots of little plantlets on the leaf tips as the leaves die off, or eventually recover from the rhizome. As long as the rhizome doesn't die then they should eventually regrow, even if they're down to no leaves.

Not sure what else to suggest really - I doubt lack of light is an issue, these'll practically grow in the dark and I've had them in tanks ranging from pH 8.5 and hard to pH4 and very soft and they've done OK.


----------



## BigTom

Alastair said:


> Amazing shots mate. This one reminds me of one of the deep sea fish that live in almost zero light.


 
Cheers. That one was just underexposed


----------



## BigTom

Well, so far so good... moved the parents out after the last update as they'd stopped spawning for the time being. Counted 5 or 6 fry after that, of which at least 4 are still alive (hard to spot!). One isn't looking terribly well but the other 3 are getting fat on tank microfauna. Still too small for microworms.



If these guys make it to a size where they'll take microworms then I'll move them to a breeding net and get the adults spawning again.
20 degrees, pH 8.4, 170ppm for the record.

(video's going to take an hour before its available)


----------



## BigTom

Video now working


----------



## flygja

Great photos! With regards to the bring down the fan voltage to 12V from 24V, you can use a resistor divider as well. A 2 or 5W resistor should be enough. Don't need a linear regulator.


----------



## sanj

You should try vinegar eels, my rainbows can take these soon after hatching and rainbowfish are tiny fry.


----------



## BigTom

sanj said:


> You should try vinegar eels, my rainbows can take these soon after hatching and rainbowfish are tiny fry.


 
Thanks Sanj, I'll try that next time. Unfortunately I did the first water change yesterday on the fry tank (only 10%, mix of dechlorinated tap water and water from the parent tank) and they all croaked it. Talk about sensitive.


----------



## Steve Smith

That's sad Tom :/


----------



## zhuth

BigTom firstly love what you did lift my hat for you.

But I need to ask you, bear with me if you answered it already as I decided after page 4 or 5 I need to ask as I will forget what was on page 1 . So here it goes:



BigTom said:


> Fauna: Currently - cherry shrimp, Daphnia magna and any number of weird slimy things Planned - more slimey things, and a group of either licorice gouramis or badis. Possibly Hara jerdoni and some sort of micro rasbora, depending on how the food chain holds up.


 
Where you get the Daphnia from and how to keep them as when i buy them they in my lfs they never seem to survive till the next day no matter what I do. So would be very interested where and how....
Also you spent a lot of money or just started with a couple of cherry's and they multiplied to that number?

In the meantime will read further and get more questions before forget what i wanted to ask


----------



## zhuth

Since i can not edit I add a bit here. So the self sustained and weird slimy things I'm very much interested in this part of it unless you wrote it and I just did not see it (by the way I did not read so much since school  my eyes are hurting)
And also that blue "cherry " if you have some more I would love to have some if you willing to post (and of course my tank is up and running)
But i see i need to plan a trip to Edinburgh, do you take entrance fee? Would love to see it in person 
Top job.... cant find more better words to praise you.


----------



## BigTom

zhuth said:


> (by the way I did not read so much since school  my eyes are hurting.


 
 Glad you're enjoying the journal.

Daphnia; I bought mine from a guy on aquarist-classifieds.co.uk called 'Daphnia Direct' I think. Not sure if he's still trading. I got several different varieties, the magna/pulex didn't last long once I added fish but some of the smaller benthic species are still going. Although I should point out the tank isn't self sustaining any more since my girlfriend moved in and I added lots more fish.

Cherries, I started with about 50 to get the population under way quickly. Sadly these were all wiped out by pesticides on plants from Asia, so I had ended up buying another 50 to restart after that. There are also lots of _Hyallela azteca _(Mexican gammarus) in there. There are one or two bluish shrimp, although sometimes they look brown/black depending on the light.


----------



## BigTom

PS, good news; after watching the Sawbwa fry floating about lifelessly in the current and thinking they'd died I didn't bother clearing out the tank. Just looked in the other day and the little blighters are still alive, happy and growing.


----------



## biffster

how deep is the substrate at the back of the tank 
and would it be possible to loam instead of John innes 
compost


----------



## BigTom

biffster said:


> how deep is the substrate at the back of the tank
> and would it be possible to loam instead of John innes
> compost


 
It's six inches deep or more in places. I don't see why 'loam' wouldn't work, it's just soil with a relatively even mix of sand, silt and clay. I'd probably add some grit to increase aeration and maybe a little bit of osmocote or other slow release ferts.


----------



## biffster

i can get Arthur j bowers aquatic compost which 
as loam in it i use it now but i only put a half inch
layer down and cap it with sand do you think it would
be ok to use that and add some potting grit to it


----------



## BigTom

biffster said:


> i can get Arthur j bowers aquatic compost which
> as loam in it i use it now but i only put a half inch
> layer down and cap it with sand do you think it would
> be ok to use that and add some potting grit to it


 
Should be fine. Contains lime and presumably added ferts as well though, so expect your water pH and hardness to increase quite a lot.


----------



## biffster

when i have used it in the past there as been no effect on 
the ph which i thought strange as well as i would of thought 
it might of gone up a touch but saying that were i live we have 
a very low carbonate hardness and the ph drops from 7.4 to 5.4 
over 24 hours if left to stand


----------



## BigTom

Huh. The fact it states it isn't suitable for ericaceous plants made me assume it contained lime. Maybe it doesn't.

If you can test it beforehand and its not doing anything unwanted to your stats then go for it.


----------



## biffster

cheers tom i will keep you informed as to 
how i get on


----------



## Alastair

Congrats on the fry surviving mate. Must be chuffed 

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Lee Starkie

This is unreal, so natural looking and therein lies the beauty, the fact it's so low maintenance is even better, true credit deserved here!


----------



## BigTom

Making such a mess...


----------



## tim

You rescaping again Tom ??


----------



## BigTom

Well, more a re-arrange than a rescape as I can't really move any hardscape. Also getting rid of my lighting frame as its rather over-engineered for a coke can sized Kessil.


----------



## tim

Look forward to pics later


----------



## BigTom

Still a bit of a mess, but the new lighting rig is definitely an improvement on the old chrome monstrosity -


----------



## Alastair

BigTom said:


> Still a bit of a mess, but the new lighting rig is definitely an improvement on the old chrome monstrosity -



Working with what youve got hey mate.  You could add some plants to the wood to camouflage the kessil. 
Have you made away with the peace lily now?

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## BigTom

Yeah the peace lily is now potted, had got massive and fancied a change. Have strung up some more pothos and planted a maidenhair fern at the base of the wood, looks pretty good. Not worried about completely concealing the Kessil, it doesn't stand out too much now there's more foliage.


----------



## BigTom

Tada! All the same plants before, just thinned a bit and completely rearranged as I couldn't see more than about 6 inches into the tank before. Oh, and had to remove the Aponogetons.

Can actually see some fish now, and my nice old bits of heather.

Before (except even more overgrown) -





Making a mess -






Now -





Closeups once the water has cleared.


----------



## BigTom

PS, this is all Alastair's fault, he asked for some trident fern trimmings and I just got carried away


----------



## Alastair

blame me yeah ok ha ha. A few plantlets and a total rescape is the outcome. I think you were itching to rescape anyway. 
As always though mate it does fantastic.  Will be interesting to see how the wood looks after a short time. 
The sense if depth is great. It looks like the tank goes on and on................

I like the placement of the tank on the stand with the pictures either side too.  
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Tim Harrison

Pretty awesome all round.


----------



## George Farmer

Love it.


----------



## BigTom

Alastair said:


> blame me yeah ok ha ha. A few plantlets and a total rescape is the outcome. I think you were itching to rescape anyway.


 
Hehe, maybe I was looking for an excuse. I think a total replant was actually easier than trying to trim that monstrosity.




Troi said:


> Pretty awesome all round.





George Farmer said:


> Love it.


 
Thanks chaps. So nice seeing my fish again!


----------



## Ady34

Great ingenuity with the branch lighting rig......that's one way to hide a cable and create a unique emersed section!
I think you should create an equally unique and themed stand now 
Stunning.


----------



## DrRob

Alastair said:


> The sense if depth is great. It looks like the tank goes on and on................


 

That's because it does, isn't it?

I think, Tom, that you've managed to get an amazingly natural looking green colour to your tank. I have no idea if it's camera skill or the growing of plants in the raw, with so little intervention, yet still managing such a wonderful density of planting. Might just be the light. Whatever it is, you have a tank that I envy more and more every day as it's a little patch of nature sitting there.

All I can say is, one day.......


----------



## BigTom

The kessil certainly brings out the greens (slightly at the expense of reds). And getting the contrast right in the photo helps colours pop. There's definitely a lot of green in there, mind!


----------



## DrRob

Whatever it is you're doing, keep doing it.


----------



## tim

Every update makes me want to sell up and go low tech  with al's tank two of the best scapes on here IMO, stunning as always Tom. Love that natural light hanger mate.


----------



## BigTom

Took a very quick video yesterday after switching to the lovely glass spraybar that Alastair sent me. Getting much nicer flow (albeit still relatively low compared to you high tech people) right across the width and depth of the tank now.



(click the HD button!)

Some of the plants are still looking a touch bruised and bewildered, but considering it's only been set up a few days I'm quite pleased. Carpet is going to take some filling in, but the substrate is actually getting some light now so the Lilleaopsis won't have to grow in the dark anymore!


----------



## Alastair

Great video tom. The fish look stunning and really like how there's a kind of valley effect that runs right through the centre of the tank.  The fish must love all that open space now..

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Ady34

You have an incredible talent Tom.....
An amazing tank without half the faff of us high tech fools chasing co2 levels, lighting and flow! 
I love it.


----------



## George Farmer

Hi Tom,

Your set-up never fails to blow me away and the latest changes have just taken it to a new level.

I adore the fact that you have put the fish first and foremost, yet the aesthetics aren't compromised. This is a rare feat in this hobby. It is slice of nature in its truest form and it's one of my favourite set-ups of all time. Thanks so much for sharing.

I hope you don't mind me sharing it on my Twitter. I have over a thousand followers so hopefully word will spread about this incredible tank and aquascape.


Tom's shallow tank on Twitter by George Farmer, on Flickr

Cheers,
George


----------



## Ian Holdich

Looks great Tom...also share on our FB page.


----------



## BigTom

Aww, guys. Thanks so much.

Really appreciate getting that sort of feedback.


----------



## justissaayman

What filter and heater and stuff are you using in this?


----------



## BigTom

justissaayman said:


> What filter and heater and stuff are you using in this?


 

These days, an Eheim 2324 thermofilter.


----------



## justissaayman

Thanks for the reply, I did not even know such things existed.


----------



## BigTom

Just wanted to post a quick note to say that I've just got my first rosy loach fry 



Exactly the same setup as for breeding the_ Sawbwa resplendens_ earlier (25 litre tank, full of plants and moss, a few shrimp and a mesh to protect the eggs. Put in a trio and left them to get on with it for a few days. Just spotted the first two wrigglers today, so removed the adults and will have to wait and see how many I get (probably only a few).


----------



## BigTom

The rosy loach fry aren't giving me many photo opportunities, but just got one on the glass.

2 days old I think (maybe 3). Small (just over 4mm TL) but not quite as small as the _Sawbwa_ fry at the same age and seem to be more developed, with a visible caudal fin.


----------



## BigTom

Caught one of the adult female _C. simoni simoni_ in some nice light while trying to get a fry shot. They really are very pretty when they get older, in an understated sort of way -


----------



## GHNelson

Very nice indeed Tom...love the aquarium.
Great picture of the shrimp.
hoggie


----------



## justissaayman

Yeah, looks amazing. How do you actually rescape something like this?


----------



## BigTom

justissaayman said:


> Yeah, looks amazing. How do you actually rescape something like this?


 

It wasn't too bad actually. Obviously I couldn't move much of the hardscape around without disturbing too much soil, but most of the plants (ferns, hydrocotyles, pellia) aren't rooted but just grow loose or attached to bits of wood, so they could easily be repositioned. So it was just a case of pulling everything out then uprooting and replanting the crypts and some of the _Lilleaopsis_ and _Eleocharis, _then putting everything else back in.


----------



## Alastair

Nice shot of the shrimp tom.  I agree they are very underestimated.  They look lovely. Especially in the video you did a few months back 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## BigTom

Mmm, _deep._

_

_


----------



## ghostsword

You got great skills.. the tank is just amazing.. I always visit the forum hoping to see an update on this tank..  

Superb..


----------



## BigTom

ghostsword said:


> You got great skills.. the tank is just amazing.. I always visit the forum hoping to see an update on this tank..
> 
> Superb..


 

Thanks man.

Rosy loach fry are coming on as well - really active and voracious little eaters.


----------



## ghostsword

Rosy Loaches.. how many people have bred them ?  not many I think.. 

Let this guys know how you did it..
"Tuberoschistura arakanensis" — Loaches Online

Your tank is really a natural habitat for your fish.. that is really nice..


----------



## BigTom

ghostsword said:


> Rosy Loaches.. how many people have bred them ?  not many I think..
> 
> Let this guys know how you did it..
> "Tuberoschistura arakanensis" — Loaches Online
> 
> Your tank is really a natural habitat for your fish.. that is really nice..


 

Yeah the Loaches Online profile hasn't been updated since 2007 - they've changed genus twice since then!

The Seriously Fish profile is a lot more up to date and contains information summarised from a German breeding report -   Petruichthys sp. ‘rosy’ – Rosy Loach (Yunnanilus sp. rosy, Tuberoschistura arakanensis) — Seriously Fish

I've been reporting the breeding on the SF forum as well. They seem very straight forward so far, typical egg scatterers.


----------



## Alastair

BigTom said:


> Thanks man.
> 
> Rosy loach fry are coming on as well - really active and voracious little eaters.



Kind of looks like the baby alien that burst out of the guys stomach in the first alien movie


----------



## aliclarke86

Alastair said:


> Kind of looks like the baby alien that burst out of the guys stomach in the first alien movie



Nope don't agree. I don't want that thing in my house! (Apart from my bluray) 

Do see the resemblance though 
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 4 Beta


----------



## faizal

Ady34 said:


> You have an incredible talent Tom.....
> An amazing tank without half the faff of us high tech fools chasing co2 levels, lighting and flow!
> I love it.




Any chance of getting some PAR readings at the substrate level Tom? I love this tank. Yours & Alastair's are a true inspiration. You mentioned that the substrate is just getting some light now,....but shouldn't that halide that you had initially produced a lot of light at the substrate level?
Would really help if you could provide us with some readings.


----------



## BigTom

Hi Faizal. Afraid I don't have a PAR meter to take readings with. Unless someone in Edinburgh wants to lend me theirs. 

Went I mentioned that the substrate was finally getting some light, that was a reference to having moved the overhanging plants. Visually the Kessil seems just a touch brighter than the old halide.


----------



## BigTom

Urgh, so pissed off right now. Cleaned out the filters yesterday and forgot to put the intake sponge back on afterwards. Noticed a lack of bumblebee gobies this morning and just found 5 out of 7 dead in the bottom of the filter. Really, really hate losing fish, especially when its (inevitably) down to my own stupidity.


----------



## faizal

Sorry to hear about that. A real shame. I would have been miserable too. But what happened was unintentional & hence try not to let it get the best of you,..


----------



## RynoParsons

seriously cool with the rosy loach fry. ive been trying to get rosy loaches for over a year in south africa


----------



## aliclarke86

Hey man this totally sucks but nothing you can do now but restock and mourn the lost 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 4 Beta


----------



## Alastair

BigTom said:


> Urgh, so pissed off right now. Cleaned out the filters yesterday and forgot to put the intake sponge back on afterwards. Noticed a lack of bumblebee gobies this morning and just found 5 out of 7 dead in the bottom of the filter. Really, really hate losing fish, especially when its (inevitably) down to my own stupidity.



Gutting mate. I bet your well and truly ....ed off with yourself.  Its a simple mistake mate and I know your probably kicking yourself for it and thinking if id just done this etc. 

Really sorry to hear 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## BigTom

In better news, rosy loach fry are progressing nicely and I also pulled a handful of_ Sawbwa_ and what I think are _Danio erythromicron_ fry out of the filter yesterday.

Rosy loach fry at 12 days -


----------



## BigTom

Had a bit of a tweak and added a focal point to the background. Rather pleased with things at the moment.

Some mildly ridiculous wide angle shots...


----------



## tim

Superb


----------



## aliclarke86

This is just insane, its like THE nature aquarium! Love it 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 4 Beta


----------



## Iain Sutherland

tom, it can feel like it gets old continually saying awesome, amazing, wow etc but this tank really is the only nature aquarium ive seen that genuinely looks like some of the google images from tropical rivers and streams.  Its truly quite an accomplishment and my hat is off to you.
Naturally beautiful and the health and happiness of the livestock is clear from every photo.  Never seen sawbra so amazingly platinum almost metallic blue/purple.
I'd bet youve inspired more fishkeepers than you can imagine.  
Tank of the year


----------



## BigTom

tim said:


> Superb


 
Thanks Tim!




aliclarke86 said:


> This is just insane, its like THE nature aquarium! Love it


 
It is a little bit insane isn't it. I'm addicted at the moment, my girlfriend keeps finding me sat on the floor in front of it in a zombie trance.




Iain Sutherland said:


> tom, it can feel like it gets old continually saying awesome, amazing, wow etc but this tank really is the only nature aquarium ive seen that genuinely looks like some of the google images from tropical rivers and streams. Its truly quite an accomplishment and my hat is off to you.
> Naturally beautiful and the health and happiness of the livestock is clear from every photo. Never seen sawbra so amazingly platinum almost metallic blue/purple.
> I'd bet youve inspired more fishkeepers than you can imagine.
> Tank of the year


 
Iain, thanks very much for that. The fish do seem 'happy' in there, lots of natural looking behaviour and frequent spawns (although everything inevitably gets predated, hence why I've started breeding them separately). Fish have to come first, really.

Tank of the year? Not sure it qualifies, it's taken 3.5 years to get there


----------



## Matt Warner

That tank is looking amazing Tom such lush plant growth


----------



## Henry

I can't put into words how much I love this tank. It's an absolute triumph. Easily my favourite tank ever!


----------



## Ady34

No superlatives.....
the focal point arch branch is a great addition, just somehow keeps getting better 
Cheerio,
Ady.


----------



## BigTom

Henry said:


> I can't put into words how much I love this tank. It's an absolute triumph. Easily my favourite tank ever!


 
Thanks Henry!




Ady34 said:


> No superlatives.....
> the focal point arch branch is a great addition, just somehow keeps getting better
> Cheerio,
> Ady.


 

Cheers Ady. I was worried it might look a bit naff, but I think it's sufficiently far back that it doesn't draw too much attention. Spent ages trying to decide on how to 'end' the trail through the tank and I think that does it. Also added a mirror to the back of the tank for even more depth! Not really visible in the small pictures as there's only a few inches not covered in plants but in person it works really well and gives the hint of more water beyond.


----------



## ghostsword

This may be the best nature scape I have ever seen. 


___________________________
Luis 
@ghostsword


----------



## George Farmer

OMG (I usually hate that acronym but in this case I take exception), this is incredible.

It's like the perfect blend of choas, nature and order.

The fact you're putting the fish first pushes it beyond so many other aquascapes, yet it's beauty is not compromised.  On the contrary, in fact.

Well done man.


----------



## BigTom

ghostsword said:


> This may be the best nature scape I have ever seen.


 
Let's not get carried away Lewis! But thank you very much.




George Farmer said:


> OMG (I usually hate that acronym but in this case I take exception), this is incredible.
> 
> It's like the perfect blend of choas, nature and order.
> 
> The fact you're putting the fish first pushes it beyond so many other aquascapes, yet it's beauty is not compromised. On the contrary, in fact.
> 
> Well done man.


 

There is rather more order than I'm used to at the moment, but I suspect that won't last too long . I have to say though, as much as I've loved each iteration of this tank, as something to just sit and look at it's definitely the best it's ever been. Finally figuring out how to make the most of the dimensions I think.

As an aside, for the first time in 3.5 years I actually bothered to make a custom white balance setting from inside the tank, which made it so much easier to get the the photos looking right. Can't believe I'd been lazy enough not to do that until now!


----------



## aliclarke86

I don't think that anyone is getting carried away. I get the same feeling looking at this tank as when I go hiking or walking somewhere new. Not only is it beautiful but it seems every time I see it its new again. 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 4 Beta


----------



## ghostsword

Tom, I said the same a while ago, and you replied the same.. 

Not getting carried away at all..  

Dude, this lay out is simply awesome.. I got no words in English to describe how awesome it is. 

I am not even sure the fish know they are in a fish tank...


----------



## Alastair

How has this not had a pfk feature yet mate?? It easily and clearly deserves it. 

Its my favourite tank of all time and gave me inspiration for my puddle.  This deserves a good few pages in the mag


----------



## Tim Harrison

Nice photos...Wait...that's not an aquarium...no way...you're having a giraffe. Surely it's some Amazonian pool or summit...


----------



## Gill

simply stunning shots to,
Just saw your paradoxus vimeo vid over on TPT, can you post some more on that tank please. As looks stunning in the Video


----------



## sciencefiction

I agree with all the above comments. That's the best tank I've ever seen and I followed it's life and all the different variations and rescapes it went through, and I can't even say which one is/was best as the tank looks amazing each time. And I can't believe it's a low tech tank, goes to show what one can achieve when they really understand the chemistry in a planted tank. It's been an inspiration to me.


----------



## BigTom

Gill said:


> simply stunning shots to,
> Just saw your paradoxus vimeo vid over on TPT, can you post some more on that tank please. As looks stunning in the Video


 
Hate to break it to you Gill, but your memory is going 

You commented on that video when I posted it on UKAPS a year ago - Indostomus paradoxus | UK Aquatic Plant Society

The tank looks quite different now and is mainly for growing on fry and shrimplets from the main tank, although there are a few Indostomus in there still but I never really see them.




sciencefiction said:


> I agree with all the above comments. That's the best tank I've ever seen and I followed it's life and all the different variations and rescapes it went through, and I can't even say which one is/was best as the tank looks amazing each time. And I can't believe it's a low tech tank, goes to show what one can achieve when they really understand the chemistry in a planted tank. It's been an inspiration to me.


 
Thanks very much, I've really enjoyed each stage of the tank as well. As for understanding the chemistry, I'm not sure I do really. Certainly compared to people like Darrel and Clive and Tom Barr I'm a complete ignoramus. I just go with the philosophy that if I have enough plants, everything will probably be OK. 




Alastair said:


> How has this not had a pfk feature yet mate?? It easily and clearly deserves it.
> 
> Its my favourite tank of all time and gave me inspiration for my puddle. This deserves a good few pages in the mag


 
Dunno Al. I was a bit rude about Nathan Hill once, no idea if he remembers though


----------



## BigTom

aliclarke86 said:


> I don't think that anyone is getting carried away. I get the same feeling looking at this tank as when I go hiking or walking somewhere new. Not only is it beautiful but it seems every time I see it its new again.


 

Funny you should say that, its always whilst having a bit of a stroll along the river in the woods near me that I end up getting the urge to rescape.


----------



## Gill

> Hate to break it to you Gill, but your memory is going
> 
> You commented on that video when I posted it on UKAPS a year ago - Indostomus paradoxus | UK Aquatic Plant Society
> 
> The tank looks quite different now and is mainly for growing on fry and shrimplets from the main tank, although there are a few Indostomus in there still but I never really see them.


 
Whoops So I did, well my memory is no good at the best of times.


----------



## dw1305

Hi all,


BigTom said:


> I just go with the philosophy that if I have enough plants, everything will probably be OK.


This pretty much sums up my philosophy as well. Lots of plant mass just makes things a whole lot easier.

cheers Darrel


----------



## BigTom

Rosy loach fry aren't giving me many photo opportunities, but they're growing really quickly. 3 weeks old and rapidly catching up with the 3 month old _Sawbwa_ fry -



 

And what I _think_ are a few _D. erythromicron_ fry that I pulled out of the filter. About a week old -


----------



## thelats1981

Unbelievable. There are so many 'scapes' only possible with 60 WPG and 345 BPS, and someone comes up with a 'low tech' tank like this.

Tom, love the fact that you think the technical aspect of the photo's is even important To be honest you could go back 20 years and take this on a polaroid camera and it would be the best thing I've seen.

This really gives everyone a dilemma - the art form of a nature aquarium/ Aquascape vs the closest thing to nature in an aquarium ( in terms of how it looks, not trying to cause a debate)......


----------



## BigTom

thelats1981 said:


> Unbelievable. There are so many 'scapes' only possible with 60 WPG and 345 BPS, and someone comes up with a 'low tech' tank like this.
> 
> Tom, love the fact that you think the technical aspect of the photo's is even important To be honest you could go back 20 years and take this on a polaroid camera and it would be the best thing I've seen.
> 
> This really gives everyone a dilemma - the art form of a nature aquarium/ Aquascape vs the closest thing to nature in an aquarium ( in terms of how it looks, not trying to cause a debate)......


 

Thanks man, very much appreciate your comments. I'm not sure it is terribly close to nature though really...  there's just too many different things packed into such a tiny space for it to look real. If I had space for more than one large tank then I'd definitely go down a much stricter biotope route and try and make things look like genuine slices of habitat, instead of the somewhat 'hyper' approach in this tank.


----------



## BigTom

Got a much better picture of the rosy fry this morning -





I'll stop spamming fry shots for a bit now, promise!


----------



## Michael W

Excellent shot mate!


----------



## ghostsword

No, do not stop.. keep taking photos, videos, and keep us update.. 

I am learning with every single post of yours..


----------



## sanj

Tom, really good fry shots. If you dont mind could you tell me what equipment you use to take the photo; lens, lighting etc.

Thanks.


----------



## BigTom

sanj said:


> Tom, really good fry shots. If you dont mind could you tell me what equipment you use to take the photo; lens, lighting etc.
> 
> Thanks.


 
Hi Sanj. Fry shots were taken with a Panasonic GH2 micro 4/3rds camera and olympus 35mm f3.5 macro lens (which is a 4/3rds lens so needs an adaptor to fit on the gh2). Then just ambient tank light and cranked the iso up to 1600.


----------



## BigTom

Yawn...


----------



## BigTom

And a rare siting of an _Indosotomus_ (in one of the nanos, but I'm just going to consolidate everything into this thread).


----------



## BigTom

Have finally gotten around to working on the riparian section a bit... added some extra stonework about level with the surface and have thrown a bunch of plants at it to see what sticks. Will give them a month or so to get settled then tweak.


----------



## Rich Jackson

that looks cool. want to do a similar thing with mine when it's up and running. Will be tapping your wisdom for help I'm sure.


----------



## Aron_Dip

some amazing shots Tom and the tanks aint bad too ........ 

What cam do you use? im looking to get a new one soon.

cheers


----------



## BigTom

Aron_Dip said:


> some amazing shots Tom and the tanks aint bad too ........
> 
> What cam do you use? im looking to get a new one soon.
> 
> cheers


 

Cheers Aron. I'm using a Panasonic GH2 these days. All the features of an SLR with much less bulk (especially if you pair it with the right lenses). Only downsides really are a reduced choice of lenses, slightly fiddly ergonomics compared to a full size DSLR and a small hit in high-ISO performance compared to the very latest DSLR sensors. These were all shot at ISO 1600 though and needed very little cleaning up so its no slouch.


----------



## Alastair

Looking great as always mate 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## justissaayman

Bigtom you mind if I pm you and ask you some questions? I'll post em here afterwards. 

Also, how's the tank with the 2x 10w leds? Also have you got some heather to sell? 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD


----------



## BigTom

justissaayman said:


> Bigtom you mind if I pm you and ask you some questions? I'll post em here afterwards.


 
Yup no problem. On holiday at the moment though so might be a bit slow replying.



justissaayman said:


> Also, how's the tank with the 2x 10w leds? Also have you got some heather to sell?


 
Not sure what tank you mean - the only LEDs I have are the 36w Kessil on this tank. And sorry no on the heather, any extra I had went ages ago.


----------



## justissaayman

Thanks Tom, will be PM'ing you later today once I am not frantically scrambling.

Where can I person buy heather?


----------



## justissaayman

You have PM Tom


----------



## sciencefiction

BigTom said:


> Have finally gotten around to working on the riparian section a bit... added some extra stonework about level with the surface and have thrown a bunch of plants at it to see what sticks. Will give them a month or so to get settled then tweak.


 
Stunning tank Tom.
Not sure if you've noticed, but there seems to be some light bulb perched on the driftwood that's sticking out of your pond  The tank is attracting the media I see 

On a serious note, what is the emersed plant called in your last picture?


----------



## BigTom

Heh. The last plant is a maidenhair fern. Pretty common houseplant, should be able to find one in almost any garden centre. Seems to be taking well to riparian growth, thrown out about half a dozen new fronds in the last few weeks.


----------



## AshRolls

Maidenhair fern is very sensitive to it's soil drying out (it will die if it's soil dries out for even a single day) so I can imagine it's the perfect plant for growing out of the tank. Looks great too.


----------



## Ady34

BigTom said:


> Heh. The last plant is a maidenhair fern. Pretty common houseplant, should be able to find one in almost any garden centre. Seems to be taking well to riparian growth, thrown out about half a dozen new fronds in the last few weeks.


You and Alastair have inspired me to try one of these, I'm going to try and source one.....I think it will outwardly compliment hydrocotle tripartita grown submerse  hope they dont get too big! I need something small for my one emerse branch, I already have a bolbitis difformis on it which is hanging on in there and just starting to green up again after some leaves dried out. I mist it about twice a day, but it was bought submersed so will likely need time to adjust......who knows, my one emerse stump may lead to another ukaps bucket or puddle 
Cheerio,
Ady


----------



## BigTom

Ady34 said:


> You and Alastair have inspired me to try one of these, I'm going to try and source one.....I think it will outwardly compliment hydrocotle tripartita grown submerse  hope they dont get too big! I need something small for my one emerse branch, I already have a bolbitis difformis on it which is hanging on in there and just starting to green up again after some leaves dried out. I mist it about twice a day, but it was bought submersed so will likely need time to adjust......who knows, my one emerse stump may lead to another ukaps bucket or puddle
> Cheerio,
> Ady


 

They are really nice plants, and easy to grow as long as they don't dry out. They do get to a reasonable size... fronds are about 12" long but quite droopy so they don't spread that far.


----------



## dw1305

Hi all,


AshRolls said:


> Maidenhair fern is very sensitive to it's soil drying out (it will die if it's soil dries out for even a single day)


They lose all their fronds if they dry out, and look horrible but they don't actually die. They are quite resilient and if you cut off all the crisped dead fronds and keep the plant watered, new fronds will appear. 

cheers Darrel


----------



## Ady34

BigTom said:


> They are really nice plants, and easy to grow as long as they don't dry out. They do get to a reasonable size... fronds are about 12" long but quite droopy so they don't spread that far.





dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> They lose all their fronds if they dry out, and look horrible but they don't actually die. They are quite resilient and if you cut off all the crisped dead fronds and keep the plant watered, new fronds will appear.
> 
> cheers Darrel


When you say dry out, I'm presuming you mean the roots need to be wet/moist rather than misting the leaves/fronds?


----------



## BigTom

Ady34 said:


> When you say dry out, I'm presuming you mean the roots need to be wet/moist rather than misting the leaves/fronds?


 

Yup. Have never misted mine.


----------



## sanj

My Maidenhair dries out where it grows too close to the lights. All you do it cut it back everynow and then an new fronds replace the old. I cut mine back when I sent some to Alistair and they have grown back strong.


----------



## liamb2324

Absolutely stunning! And thanks again for all the help and advice look forward to picking your brains alot more


----------



## BigTom

Things are all growing in quite nicely -


(click the HD button!)

My big male Sawbwa are starting to look a bit old and senile now though, think they must be coming to end of their lifespan. Will try and get another batch of fry before they all kick the bucket, but I've got 6 juvies waiting to replace them.


----------



## BigTom

Rosy loach juvenile at 53 days old; big enough to go in to the Bucket soon I think -


----------



## foxfish

Nice and clean looking Tom loverly loach too.


----------



## aliclarke86

awesome vid mate. i watched it on my phone earlier but HD on 42" is MUCH better


----------



## Ian Holdich

Nice crypts, Tom. I love the look of mature crypts in a scape....my fave!


----------



## BigTom

Cheers chaps.



foxfish said:


> Nice and clean looking Tom loverly loach too.


 
Thanks foxfish. The loaches are really fantastic fish, I guess they're not more popular simply because they're still quite uncommon. Given how easy they seem to be to breed I'd expect farms to start churning them out some time soon.




aliclarke86 said:


> awesome vid mate. i watched it on my phone earlier but HD on 42" is MUCH better


 
Yeah I've recently hacked the firmware on my GH2 to allow much higher data rates than the default, which on initial impressions seems to make quite a big difference. That vid was only encoded at 720p though as I was in a bit of a rush.




Ian Holdich said:


> Nice crypts, Tom. I love the look of mature crypts in a scape....my fave!


 

Yeah they're grand. So good for adding a bit of contrast to the sea of green.


----------



## justissaayman

Just stunning as always.


----------



## BigTom

justissaayman said:


> Just stunning as always.


 

Thanks Justis.

Just had an enjoyable couple of hours finding out what was in the fry tank; total tally was 10 rosy loach, 6 _Sawbwa_ and 5 _Danio erythromicron._ Added 6 loaches and 5 _Sawbwa_ to the Bucket, the rest need some growing on before they'd be safe from the peacock gudgeons I think.


----------



## Tim Harrison

Amazing...


----------



## Gill

I have been watching the latest vid on a loop. is simply breath taking, the sense of scale you have created within this scape. Truly Inspiring to others.


----------



## Edvet

Congrats on a very very nice tank, makes me jealous, and that doesn't happen often.


----------



## liamb2324

Just stunning, what fish do you have in the tank mate?


----------



## BigTom

Edvet said:


> Congrats on a very very nice tank, makes me jealous, and that doesn't happen often.


 
Thanks Ed, just had a look at your tank - what a monster. Very nice emersed/floating growth as well.




liamb2324 said:


> Just stunning, what fish do you have in the tank mate?


 
Cheers Liam. In there are..._Petruichthys _sp 'Rosy'_, Sawbwa resplendens, Danio erythromicron, Tateurndina ocellicauda, Brachygobius doriae _and a few_ Otocinclus. _


----------



## matt

Awsome tank


----------



## Edvet

Tom I was wondering how you fixed the bag in the 2213? Did you poke extra holes in the basket and cut the ring of?


----------



## BigTom

Just friction Ed. Needs quite a lot of force to get the basket back in the filter when it's got a sock around it. 

Sent from my LT30p using Tapatalk 4


----------



## BigTom

But yeah, cut the metal ring off the stock first. 

Sent from my LT30p using Tapatalk 4


----------



## Edvet

Ok, just picked up a brandnew 2213, only been in a closet for a year, Guy bought it and then his tank had sprung a leak.......so he quitted the hobby.


----------



## Samuran

Tom, got to say one of the most amazing journals I've read on any forum.
I've been slowly reading from the start over the last couple of weeks.
Kudos to you sir!
Ben


----------



## BigTom

Samuran said:


> Tom, got to say one of the most amazing journals I've read on any forum.
> I've been slowly reading from the start over the last couple of weeks.
> Kudos to you sir!
> Ben


 

Cheers Ben (Kerby?). Sorry, looks like I missed your post until now.

In other news, I've been getting rather jealous of Alastair's enormous wood, and have decided to fight fire with fire!

Which began with tricking my girlfriend into helping me carry a slippery, worm- and spider-ridden, soil covered 30kg lump of dead beech (I think) through the woods in the pouring rain. For an hour. In the dark. And then spend a further 20 minutes figuring out how to fit it in the boot of the car.

In the cold light of day, I wasn't even sure how much I liked it -






However, the good lady informed me that after the previous evening's exertions with my wood (er...), not using it could well have disastrous consequences for our relationship.

So this afternoon I spent a good couple of hours with a hosepipe, pokey thing and wire brush removing all the soft and rotting wood (oh for a sand blaster!), and have uncovered something which I'm pleased to say can only really be described as stonking, and includes several arches and caves of various sizes -














It'll be a while before I get a chance to use it, but I've got some pretty ace plans...


----------



## Edvet

Impressive


----------



## aliclarke86

Mega! Think you went through a bit more trouble than Al though lol

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 4


----------



## tim

Stonking, I love that word  awesome piece of wood Tom looking forward to seeing it in use.


----------



## Samuran

Yes mate tis I 

Loving the wood... ooo err!

And the car, man I miss my Honda.

Ben


----------



## BigTom

Edvet said:


> Impressive


 
Cheers Ed.




aliclarke86 said:


> Mega! Think you went through a bit more trouble than Al though lol


 
Haha maybe. He had to go to Scunthorpe though, can't have been too much fun 




tim said:


> Stonking, I love that word  awesome piece of wood Tom looking forward to seeing it in use.


 
Cheers Tim. Going to be a while before this is in use, need a new job and a new flat first! 




Samuran said:


> Yes mate tis I
> 
> Loving the wood... ooo err!
> 
> And the car, man I miss my Honda.
> 
> Ben


 

Aha, the penny drops! The car's a bit of a shed really, but I do love it.


----------



## aliclarke86

In the meantime it looks awesome one the drive like that.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 4


----------



## Alastair

Woar looks massively different now mate. So much potential can't wait to see what you do with that beauty


----------



## flygja

Did you have to dangle some sparkly things in front of your girlfriend to convince her? My wife would've killed me at "Can you help me..." Your home looks great by the way!


----------



## BigTom

flygja said:


> Did you have to dangle some sparkly things in front of your girlfriend to convince her? My wife would've killed me at "Can you help me..." Your home looks great by the way!



Not my house sadly (I'm house sitting for mum this week). I have to say, my girlfriend is absolutely awesome for indulging the various madnesses that this hobby tends to involve.


----------



## Edvet

Sounds like a keeper


----------



## foxfish

Very nice find mate.


----------



## BigTom

Edvet said:


> Sounds like a keeper





foxfish said:


> Very nice find mate.



Are we talking about the wood or my girlfriend here?


----------



## aliclarke86

This is all well and good tom butttt....... how's the tank doing? 

Fry are all growing up?

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 4


----------



## BigTom

aliclarke86 said:


> This is all well and good tom butttt....... how's the tank doing?
> 
> Fry are all growing up?
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 4


 

Dunno Ali, I've been away from home for 2 weeks. Back on Sunday, so I'll do an update next week some time.


----------



## aliclarke86

Awesome. After a large top up I can imagine 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 4


----------



## Samuran

Any update then Tom? 

Ben

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk


----------



## BigTom

Er, yeah. This weekend. Promise!


----------



## BigTom

So I did promise... just a quickie I'm afraid, rapidly approaching full on jungle again -






Will try and do a quick vid later on (it's a nightmare for reflections in the daytime).


----------



## Alastair

Absolutely beautiful mate. Still and always will be a big inspiration to me this tank


----------



## tim

Stunning as always bigtom, yours and Al's tanks are always making me lean towards low tech, I have in mind a project which due to one of your posts I didn't rush (parosphromenus project forum link) lots of reading and I want to be sure I can provide the soft water and live food they need but I'm hoping next year. Looks stunning as always


----------



## BigTom

Thanks, both. Didn't manage to get a video done tonight, sorry - got distracted by some new photography panorama stitching software.


----------



## BigTom

Shot a very quick video last night to give an idea of how much growth there's been. Both tripods were in the car, so I apologise for any sea-sickness from the camera shake -


----------



## xtevo

Stunning...


----------



## Alastair

Very lush mate. Plant health is perfect and all the in habitants look super happy in their. Love this tank... I know ive said it a zillion times but tis true


----------



## foxfish

Fantastic Tom, how long has your tank been running now?


----------



## BigTom

xtevo said:


> Stunning...


 
Cheers Steve.




Alastair said:


> Very lush mate. Plant health is perfect and all the in habitants look super happy in their. Love this tank... I know ive said it a zillion times but tis true


 
It's OK Al, you can keep telling me  Yeah it's nice having all the different aged juveniles in there now, seems more natural having a range of fish ages.

Ready for those ferns yet?




foxfish said:


> Fantastic Tom, how long has your tank been running now?


 
Well, the tank was first setup in December 2010 and has been running ever since, but has been through several iterations and this last rescape is 4.5 months old.


----------



## parotet

No words to describe such beauty... Really impressed, just finished to read  the whole 30 pages of this thread and I'm looking forward to reading some more!


----------



## sanj

Wow Tom, that is excellent, really does show that low tech can have massive plant mass and lush too. I love the fact that it is well carpeted. Do you think this could be accomplished on a standard shaped tank, or does it need to be wide and shallow?


----------



## sanj

Actually what is the dominant carpet plant, is it "Alistair's magic weed"?


----------



## BigTom

parotet said:


> No words to describe such beauty... Really impressed, just finished to read the whole 30 pages of this thread and I'm looking forward to reading some more!


 
Thanks very much indeed. I'm afraid I'm not the most prolific updater, mainly because everything happens pretty slowly with low tech, so it might take a while to generate another 30 pages!




sanj said:


> Wow Tom, that is excellent, really does show that low tech can have massive plant mass and lush too. I love the fact that it is well carpeted. Do you think this could be accomplished on a standard shaped tank, or does it need to be wide and shallow?





sanj said:


> Actually what is the dominant carpet plant, is it "Alistair's magic weed"?


 
The carpeting has definitely been more successful since I added some water flow to the tank. It's mainly _Lilleaopsis brasiliensis_ but with some little bits of _L. mauritania_, _E. acicularis_,_ M._ 'monte carlo' and good old_ Glossostigma_ mixed in, all of which seem to be doing fairly well. I tried glosso once before when it was a zero-flow setup and that was pretty unsuccessful. Whether that's the flow itself or improved CO2 levels from surface movement I couldn't say.

I've no doubt that having a high surface area:volume ratio is hugely benefitial for a low tech setup, but as discussed in the following thread a good trickle filter might also prove a good way of effectively achieving the same thing - Maxing CO2 in Low Techs | UK Aquatic Plant Society


----------



## sanj

Thanks Tom, ill have a read.


----------



## Plunket

Just fabulous


----------



## Aron_Dip

Stunning mate!


----------



## aliclarke86

I still find this tank astonishing. Its a beautiful beautiful thing!

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk


----------



## Edvet

Horrible, crappy tank, much to much plants, all disorderly, can't even see a mock up tree anywhere, pff HUMBUG i say.


----------



## Lee Sweeting

I absolutely love this tank, the whole idea is great. I've been really inspired reading this journal, and Alistair's chocolate gourami saga. I really want to set up a low tech/natural tank. Maybe i'll ditch the co2 in the future and have a go myself . Great work Tom, looking forward to future updates.  
.


----------



## BigTom

So I managed to get a great deal on a camera upgrade this week. Sold my two aging Panasonic bodies and picked up an Olympus E-M5 and 12-50 kit lens for essentially no extra cost. And I'm a little bit smitten.

I've never been much of a believer in either image stabilisation or kit lenses, but the 5-axis IBIS in the E-M5 is basically alien magic and despite a pretty slow aperture range the 12-50 has a surprisingly useable semi-macro mode when paired with the respectable high ISO perfromance of the new Oly/Sony sensor.

Non-photographers can stop reading at this point, but how about this for handheld with a kit lens at 85mm equivalent, a mere 1/10s shutter speed and ISO1250 -






I've been getting web-usable wide angle shots at 1/1s.


----------



## BigTom

And another (1/10s at ISO1600 with just a light touch of noise removal in Lightroom) -


----------



## James O

Very nice!  Lovely DOF and bokeh, especially in the second pic.  Is the stabilization built into the lens or body to achieve that low shutter speed. (2-4 stops correction in some canon lenses I've owned)

You should change you avatar to the second pic.....very cool


----------



## Edvet

Wow.......nice

I.ve never yet shot with stabilized lenses (yet), so i can't compare with VR lenses (i shoot nikon).
I just know development in photography is very fast nowadays.
These are impresive though. How many tries?
'


----------



## BigTom

So Olympus claim 5 stops with the (in body) IBIS in the E-M5, which I assumed was marketing rubbish until playing with it this evening. I've not done any proper tests but a solid 4 stops seems believable. 

I was only getting sharp focus about 1 in 4 shots but that's due simply to subject movement, which obviously IS doesn't help with. I did a quick test shooting my computer monitor (can't remember focal length) and 100% crops of the monitor pixels were razor sharp at 1/5s and still quite clear at 1s, which is ridiculous frankly. And it stabilises video.


----------



## MrAlmostWrong

My next purchase was going to be a 120H equivalent and some lights, but these photos are seriously making me consider putting that on hold and getting a decent DSLR to take pics.


----------



## James O

MrAlmostWrong said:


> My next purchase was going to be a 120H equivalent and some lights, but these photos are seriously making me consider putting that on hold and getting a decent DSLR to take pics.



Now if you were deciding between a point&shoot and a DSLR I'd say DSLR all day.  But DSLR or 120x45x60h tank??????????  To take pics of a tank or to get brand new tank, all the sundries, planning the 'scape, setting it up, watching it grow etc etc......

I'd say tank all day long.  It's better to be at the live event than to see on the tv!! 

Tank tank tank tank tank tank tank tank tank tank tank tank tank tank tank tank


----------



## MrAlmostWrong

James O said:


> Now if you were deciding between a point&shoot and a DSLR I'd say DSLR all day. But DSLR or 120x45x60h tank?????????? To take pics of a tank or to get brand new tank, all the sundries, planning the 'scape, setting it up, watching it grow etc etc......
> 
> I'd say tank all day long. It's better to be at the live event than to see on the tv!!
> 
> Tank tank tank tank tank tank tank tank tank tank tank tank tank tank tank tank


 


I hear ya, but I already have 4 decent tanks and yet I just don't have any good photos. I can partly blame using an iPhone, but I know most of it comes down to my photography skills. I just need to sit down and really practice with the lighting and angles. And the 120H will happen one day. A new camera isn't going to stop that from happening, only potentially delay it.


----------



## James O

4 tanks?!?!?!?  Get ye hence to the camera shop my good man...

Any more slow shutter speed shots BigTom?


----------



## BigTom

Not at the mo. Bit busy working on a website for my landscape photography.


----------



## aliclarke86

Ooh sounds fun

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk


----------



## BigTom

Been a while since I did an update. Nothing major going on really; plants have completed their takeover, the various offspring from last year are now mostly grown and everything just ticks over.

Quick video -


(click the HD button)


----------



## Iain Sutherland

Speechless!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## James O

Really good looking tank. This is one of my inspirations for my low tech tank of the future. Thanks for sharing Tom


----------



## Reuben

I want one!


----------



## Henry

This remains firmly seated in the top spot of my favourite aquariums.


----------



## BigTom

James O said:


> Really good looking tank. This is one of my inspirations for my low tech tank of the future. Thanks for sharing Tom



Look forward to seeing what you come up with James. I would update more often but not much changes once a layout gets to a certain age. 

Sent from my LT30p using Tapatalk


----------



## BigTom

Reuben said:


> I want one!



So get one  



Henry said:


> This remains firmly seated in the top spot of my favourite aquariums.



Cheers Henry,  glad people are still enjoying it after all this time! 


Sent from my LT30p using Tapatalk


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## Martin in Holland

I love the mature look of this tank...what am I saying?...duh, I love the whole look of this tank


----------



## Alastair

Nothing more I can say on this mate. Still is my all time fave. Love it. True piece of nature. 
Kind of regret taking both mine down now


----------



## flygja

Best
Tank
Ever


----------



## aliclarke86

Tom, I'm sure you have mentioned this before but as I'm sure you are well aware, this journal has become pretty long  what is the plant growing emersed on the right side of the 'bucket' ?

Sent from my GT-I9505G using Tapatalk


----------



## James O

BigTom said:


> I would update more often but not much changes once a layout gets to a certain age.



Its nice to see a quality aquascape being left up rather than rapidly torn down once completed.  I can understand getting twitchy as there are so many possibilities. But the patience involved in allowing a low tech tank to mature seems more fulfilling and natural.  As the tanks move comparitivly slowly, you can develop a contemplative mindset towards its outcome, thoroughly thinking through any alterations or issues that may occur.  I believe even the big A is a fan of the slow growth look.


----------



## Michael W

A master piece for sure! Love the ripples from the water reflecting onto the walls of the house. I really like the densely planted tank which supports the diverse life in your tank! Lovely Peacock Goby, I nearly grabbed a pair the other day but my Apistos would have likely murdered them so will save the purchase to a later date


----------



## AshRolls

This tank is my all time favourite, thanks for sharing this journal. I show the videos to my wife to demonstrate what my tank could one day become!

I'm sorry if you have answered this before but what temperature do you run this tank at?


----------



## BigTom

Alastair said:


> Nothing more I can say on this mate. Still is my all time fave. Love it. True piece of nature.
> Kind of regret taking both mine down now


 
You could always put it back up 

I have no doubt the monster will end up being amazing, just needs some ageing.




aliclarke86 said:


> Tom, I'm sure you have mentioned this before but as I'm sure you are well aware, this journal has become pretty long  what is the plant growing emersed on the right side of the 'bucket' ?


 
On the right hand side is a _Syngonium rayii_ (kindly donated by Mike Edwardes on here) and one of those generic waxy looking ferns you always find in garden centers which I'm afraid I don't know the name of.




James O said:


> Its nice to see a quality aquascape being left up rather than rapidly torn down once completed. I can understand getting twitchy as there are so many possibilities. But the patience involved in allowing a low tech tank to mature seems more fulfilling and natural. As the tanks move comparitivly slowly, you can develop a contemplative mindset towards its outcome, thoroughly thinking through any alterations or issues that may occur. I believe even the big A is a fan of the slow growth look.


 
Yeah I do occasionally get the urge to rescape, but have only succumbed twice (well, 2 rescapes and one major plant shuffle) in 4 years. I do like the chaotic nature of this sort of tank... a few months ago I was thinking the near corner of the big mound on the left could use some sort of added interest or texture but did nothing about it, now there's a lovely looking _Bolbitis_ plant there that I didn't even know was in the tank as I thought I'd sold all of it 2 years ago. Just popped up out of nowhere and has found itself in a prime spot with good flow and lighting and is looking far happier than when I was trying to grow it myself.




Michael W said:


> A master piece for sure! Love the ripples from the water reflecting onto the walls of the house. I really like the densely planted tank which supports the diverse life in your tank! Lovely Peacock Goby, I nearly grabbed a pair the other day but my Apistos would have likely murdered them so will save the purchase to a later date


 
Yeah the big peacock gudgeon is a very personable fish (and totally fearless). I actually have 4 in the tank but almost never see the other 3 - he's definitely the boss.




AshRolls said:


> This tank is my all time favourite, thanks for sharing this journal. I show the videos to my wife to demonstrate what my tank could one day become!
> 
> I'm sorry if you have answered this before but what temperature do you run this tank at?


 
Thanks Ash. Tank runs about 22 degrees.


----------



## aliclarke86

It was the syngonium I was on about. Its a stunning plant. 

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## BigTom

aliclarke86 said:


> It was the syngonium I was on about. Its a stunning plant.


 

Yeah it's lovely. Seems to have taken well to being a riparian, the new leaves are about five times the size of the ones it had in its previous life as a vivarium plant.


----------



## Nathaniel Whiteside

I'm not even watching the video till I get onto the Mac. Don't want to spoil it on the iphone.

From the thumbnail it looks magical.


----------



## Rob P

This journal has been a truly inspirational read 

I imagine Tom, you and a handful of others will be responsible for many others giving this kind of tank a go.

Totally blown away by it all. Well done


----------



## Pedro Rosa

Tom, i think i had never posted on this thread but this one is an historical aquarium on UKAPS.
You latest video show us very healthy plants and magnificent fish.
A really matured aquarium that can show really what one can achieve on creating a "small" ecosystem.

Thanks you for that


----------



## Jason King

Beautiful! 

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## Edvet

Flabbergasted, inspirational, awe-inspiring,in other words :supercalifragilisticexpialidociuos.

Oh and it made me start researching a south east asian tank i want to set up.


----------



## Edvet

Before i have to read through the whole 32 pages again, can you give a quick recap of how the tank is nowadays, maintenance wise, do you fertilize it, how is your feeding (fish) regime, filtering etc etc


----------



## aliclarke86

Edvet said:


> Before i have to read through the whole 32 pages again, can you give a quick recap of how the tank is nowadays, maintenance wise, do you fertilize it, how is your feeding (fish) regime, filtering etc etc


 +1

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## NatureBoy

super lush slice of nature, can imagine you could watch the comings and goings of the inhabitants for hours! definitely a fave


----------



## BigTom

Thanks all for taking the time to comment, I do appreciate it.



Edvet said:


> Before i have to read through the whole 32 pages again, can you give a quick recap of how the tank is nowadays, maintenance wise, do you fertilize it, how is your feeding (fish) regime, filtering etc etc


 

Erm yeah it's really straight forward... lights on about 10-12 hours a day, I clean the glass of a little green spot algae (the only visible algae in the whole tank) about once every 2-3 months. Feed the fish once or twice a day on a mix of dried foods in winter and live food from the pond in summer, change about 10% of the water weekly. I add a very small amount of TNC premixed ferts every month or so (500ml has lasted me about 3 years, just ran out this week!). I almost never trim anything except for very occasionally the _Hydrocotyle_, and I do sometimes gather up the stray _Monoselerium tenerum_ otherwise it ends up taking over the carpet.


----------



## Ady34

Perfect!


----------



## Edvet

one more question: do you filter or only use circulation pumps


----------



## BigTom

Yeah running an eheim 2324 these days. 

It was filterless back when it was self sustaining and lightly stocked. 

Sent from my LT30p using Tapatalk


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## tim

Like the new website Tom, will you be showcasing any aquatic photography on there ?


----------



## aliclarke86

Link please 

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## tim

Thomas Black Photography


----------



## darren636

This tank is ridiculous.

Even more so when you go back and read the first post.

' piles of rotting crap'  indeed!

 you teach mogwai to watch television!?   ayah.


----------



## Andy D

Looks amazing!


----------



## BigTom

tim said:


> Like the new website Tom, will you be showcasing any aquatic photography on there ?


 

Cheers Tim. No plans to add aquaria stuff there, I think it's quite a different thing really.

Pretty much all the aquaria photography is for the sake of posting here (and sometimes Seriously Fish) anyway, so it pretty much reaches the people who will be most interested anyway.


----------



## aliclarke86

Really some fabulous shots there! I love walking, just wish I was able to capture what I see!!! 

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## BigTom

Thanks Ali. Mainly these days photography for me is just an excuse to go and sit on top of a cliff of an evening and blow away some cobwebs, but making something pretty out of it feels good too.


----------



## Edvet

Nice pics Tom, what do you use to stitch, PS?


----------



## BigTom

Started out using PS but now use Hugin for the more difficult panos.


----------



## Edvet

yeah Hugin is quite smart


----------



## BigTom

Yeah it does a pretty good job but I still struggle sometimes getting perfectly straight sea horizons with wideangle shots that have distortion and also parallax errors. I'm not sure of that's user error or just a really big ask. Recently invested in some nodal rails though for single row panoramas so will see if that makes a difference.


----------



## Edvet

I find in longer distance pano's i get fewer errors, just the foreground can be a pain. To much of a hobby to invest in rails for me, just shoot large overlaps and let the cpu figure it out.


----------



## BigTom

Yeah that was my general approach but I find myself hitting the limits of what the software (at least with me at the controls) was able to do with wide angles with lots of foreground and significant parallax. I got a cheap rail, panoramic head and L bracket off eBay for under £100 so not a massive investment given I find myself shooting more and more panos. It all breaks down easily and is very lightweight, which suits the rest of my kit.


----------



## Edvet

Ah nice. It should fix basicaly all your paralaxproblems i think.


----------



## darren636

I was bumbling around, playing with tank dimensions , and I came to the conclusion of a 90 x 90 x 35 cm tank. 

Anyway. My point is;  do you ever desire more depth than 30 cm?


----------



## BigTom

darren636 said:


> I was bumbling around, playing with tank dimensions , and I came to the conclusion of a 90 x 90 x 35 cm tank.
> 
> Anyway. My point is;  do you ever desire more depth than 30 cm?



Yeah I do sometimes. If I was starting from scratch I'd probably go for 40-45cm - gives a bit more scope for different hardscape and planting options.


----------



## EnderUK

This tanking is amazing and currently stopping me from turning on the co2. I need to persuade the lass that bigger is not always better.


----------



## shwalker

I'm liking the tank, what fish have you currently got in there?


----------



## BigTom

shwalker said:


> I'm liking the tank, what fish have you currently got in there?


 

Cheers. Current stock hasn't changed for a while really; _Sawbwa resplendens, Petruichthys sp_ 'Rosy', _Danio erythromicron, Tateurndina ocellicauda, Brachygobius somethingorother_ and some_ Otocinclus_.


----------



## Edvet

BigTom said:


> Brachygobius somethingorother


are these the same as Brachygobius cantremember?


----------



## BigTom

Edvet said:


> are these the same as Brachygobius cantremember?


 

Similar, but with added uncertainty.


----------



## Edvet

Tom, a question about when it was selfsustaining, what did you add as fooditems? Daphnia i guess , but anything else? Some water from a pond or small brook or so, to start the infusoria ?


----------



## BigTom

I added (at various points), shrimp, _Hyalella_ and several species of daphnia (big ones got gobbled up very fast but I have a tiny species that hangs on the substrate that still appears from nowhere whenever I have a tank without fish in it - a bit like a mini ostracod). Other than that ostracods, cyclops, freshwater limpets and various other microfauna seeded themselves really. Also had less welcome planaria, hydra and leeches at various points.

I've also now got_ Asellus_ and _Lumbriculus_ in some tanks which both make excellent additions. My new Paros are going mad for the _Lumbriculus_ - the worms bury in the substrate with one end waving in the air, which the Paros bite off with glee. Apparently just about any _Lumbriculus_ segment is able to regenerate into an entire worm so they should just grow back.


----------



## Edvet

You got those from outside/nature?


----------



## BigTom

The _Lumbriculus_? Nope, I got them from Darrel who got them from Gerard who got them from the USA . They are available from some scientific suppliers (in the UK at least) if you're willing to pay a very inflated price.

The _Daphnia_ came from a guy in the UK who traded as 'Daphnia Direct' but seems to have closed down now. The _Asellus_ I also got from Darrel, and the _Hyalella_ from a guy called Colin Dunlop who runs a small fishroom up here in Scotland.


----------



## darren636

Edvet said:


> are these the same as Brachygobius cantremember?


 I did not know they had been classified yet .


----------



## Edvet

darren636 said:


> I did not know they had been classified yet .


----------



## Edvet

Back to the living earthsoup: i never heard of  most of those critters, let alone seen them as fishfood. I was thinking to use some live caught "slootinfuus"as we call it, just sive through a small creek/ditch and collect all living matter. Put it in a white bucket, discard everything wich sticks to the side, and put the rest in the tank.
I don't think i could buy any of the one you mention here in the Netherlands.


----------



## BigTom

None of them are commercially available over here either really - you certainly wouldn't see them in a LFS. I'm sure if you asked around a few societies/groups you'd find some though. I could try and bring some over next time I'm in the NL but I've no idea when that may be, probably not until towards the end of the year.


----------



## Edvet

Wel you're welcome for a coffee or a beer. Maybe even a sandwich


----------



## darren636

Edvet said:


> Wel you're welcome for a coffee or a beer. Maybe even a sandwich[/quote
> 
> Ah yes,
> 
> Everyone goes to Holland for the sandwiches


----------



## dw1305

Hi all, 





BigTom said:


> The Asellus I also got from Darrel





BigTom said:


> The Lumbriculus? Nope, I got them from Darrel who got them from Gerrard who got them from the USA. They are available from some scientific suppliers


 I've now found that as well as_ Daphnia, Cyclops, _Ostracods and _Asellus_. _Lumbriculus spp._ are pretty common in ponds. After Gerard  ("Frothhelmet") sent me the "California Blackworms", I was able to compare them with the small annelid worms that I'd collected in the submersed moss and dead leaves around the the garden pond, and I found that they were one and the same. 




A bit more research discovered that _Lumbriculus_ is found in both N. America and Eurasia and that they were introduced to Australia. I've got them in the tanks, and I also have both _Asellus_ and _Lumbriculus _cultures in the filter, amongst the filter media. I also introduced some to the _Daphnia_ buckets in the garden (buckets filled with rainwater, with some dead leaves in the bottom), and they do fine in these as well.

I'm pretty sure I should be able to send some to the Netherlands successfully, they should be fine for a couple of days in the post.

cheers Darrel


----------



## Edvet

I.ve found Lumbricus for sale here, They're in water. I will give these a try first. ( gonna get them in a small araeted container first, to multiply)
If i want some i'll ask you Darrel, Thx.
I want to get some daphnia going too, but the missus doesn't like open standing water (mosquito larvea )

Realy nice pond btw!


----------



## dw1305

Hi all,





Edvet said:


> but the missus doesn't like open standing water (mosquito larvea


Get away with you, top quality food for free and _Apistogramma_ (and all other fish love them), that is partially why I have the buckets.

cheers Darrel


----------



## darren636

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,Get away with you, top quality food for free and _Apistogramma_ (and all other fish love them), that is partially why I have the buckets.
> 
> cheers Darrel


 I have  a 70 litre mini pond. Dwarf water lily, and plenty of live food in spring summer and autumn.  Edged with veronica beccabunga .


----------



## dw1305

Hi all,





darren636 said:


> Edged with veronica beccabunga .


 I've got _Veronica beccabunga_ as well, it is a good flowering plant and will grow both in the water and wet emersed.When I dug the pond out, I threw all the limestone rubble back in to make terraces, and these mossed over really quickly. I don't top the pond up, so it has quite a large "draw down" zone in the summer.

A lot of the native plants have done really well for me, in some cases a bit too well (_Eloecharis palustris, Eriophorum latifolium, Ranunculus lingua_, various Sedges, _Lotus uliginosus_ ), so I'm going to have a bit of a thin this spring.

cheers Darrel


----------



## darren636

Sounds perfect  Darrel.

Can't beat a proper planted pond.


----------



## Khuulio

Hello BigTom, this tank has been a big inspiration for me and I plan on starting a similar tank in two months time, so naturally, I have a few questions.
1) When you planted the plants in the caddies, how deep did you place them in the tank, I've heard that the riparium plants can rot away if they are planted too deep?
2) How did you make sure the hills of gravel so they do not erode away? Especially where you planted your Lilly, was it separated with rocks or did you make some sort of special scaffolding?
3) How did you measure the amount of lights that your plants need, I know that 6500k is a good rating, but the WPG way is outdated, so I presume you used a PAR meter?

Thanks in advance for all the answers, and sorry for all the questions, I'm still a bit of a beginner...


----------



## BigTom

Khuulio said:


> Hello BigTom, this tank has been a big inspiration for me and I plan on starting a similar tank in two months time, so naturally, I have a few questions.
> 1) When you planted the plants in the caddies, how deep did you place them in the tank, I've heard that the riparium plants can rot away if they are planted too deep?
> 2) How did you make sure the hills of gravel so they do not erode away? Especially where you planted your Lilly, was it separated with rocks or did you make some sort of special scaffolding?
> 3) How did you measure the amount of lights that your plants need, I know that 6500k is a good rating, but the WPG way is outdated, so I presume you used a PAR meter?
> 
> Thanks in advance for all the answers, and sorry for all the questions, I'm still a bit of a beginner...


 

Hi Khuulio.

1. With the riparian plants I generally just try and have the roots submerged, with the rest of the plant above water. Caddies are useful for this, but these days I normally don't use them and just wedge the plants into hardscape at the water line.

2. The hills are just soil with sand on top and a few strategically placed rocks to shore them up. Nothing complicated. In the corners there are some piles of smaller rocks to produce little islands for planting the riparian plants.

3. No I've never measured the light. I started with a 70w metal halide spot light (only cost me £21 on ebay) and now have a slightly posher 36w Kessil a150 LED light which seems to have a roughly similar output. I just hang them at whatever height is needed to cover the tank. I don't worry about light really.


----------



## Khuulio

BigTom said:


> Hi Khuulio.
> 3. No I've never measured the light. I started with a 70w metal halide spot light (only cost me £21 on ebay) and now have a slightly posher 36w Kessil a150 LED light which seems to have a roughly similar output. I just hang them at whatever height is needed to cover the tank. I don't worry about light really.


 

Do you get a lot of natural sunlight? I have a 10 gallon dirted set up and it kinda struggles with 18w of 6500k CFL, so I'm kinda worried about getting the lights right :/


----------



## BigTom

Khuulio said:


> Do you get a lot of natural sunlight? I have a 10 gallon dirted set up and it kinda struggles with 18w of 6500k CFL, so I'm kinda worried about getting the lights right :/


 

It got a small amount of diffuse light when it was in the window, but for the last two years it's been against a wall in a north facing room so very little incidental light and no direct light.


----------



## faizal

I just saw your video again Tom,....totally speechless. It looks like you took your camera into some remote underwater paradise,...doesn't "feel" like an aquarium at all. It's like I was watching it all through the eyes of that lovely fish,...so much character & poise.

You mentioned earlier that you don't worry about light,...could you be kind enough to elaborate please? Someday,...i hope to achieve what you and Alastair have accomplished here. It's absolutely inspiring to say the very least. Truly magical. Your fishes are very lucky to have you take care of them like this.


----------



## BigTom

faizal said:


> I just saw your video again Tom,....totally speechless. It looks like you took your camera into some remote underwater paradise,...doesn't "feel" like an aquarium at all. It's like I was watching it all through the eyes of that lovely fish,...so much character & poise.
> 
> You mentioned earlier that you don't worry about light,...could you be kind enough to elaborate please? Someday,...i hope to achieve what you and Alastair have accomplished here. It's absolutely inspiring to say the very least. Truly magical. Your fishes are very lucky to have you take care of them like this.


 

Thanks very much indeed Faizal. With regards to light; what I mean is that I don't have any terribly demanding plants and everything seems to grow healthily and at a reasonable pace. I don't want fast growth really and I'm happy just to use whatever light I can get which is relatively cheap and looks nice. Perhaps I just got lucky with my choice in lights but they seem to have been perfectly adequate for growing plants. I don't worry much about photoperiod either - if I'm home all day then the lights will be on for 12 hours or more, if I'm away on holiday then I just put the timers on for 6 hours to keep things ticking over.


----------



## Edvet

Don't forget the magic pixeldust you give once a month


----------



## Tim Harrison

The video way back on page 31 is pretty stunning...that is your tank is stunning.


----------



## BigTom

Alastair is such a damn disruptive influence...


----------



## Nathaniel Whiteside

Lol.


----------



## Edvet




----------



## Andy Thurston

I knew it was a bargain but that looks a lot more than it did in alastair's sales thread pics
Wow


----------



## BigTom

Big clown said:


> I knew it was a bargain but that looks a lot more than it did in alastair's sales thread pics
> Wow


 

That also is most of the crypts that I already had which I uprooted. But about 3/4 of it is from the sale thread.


----------



## GHNelson

Tom a true Cryptoholic


----------



## BigTom

Well they only bloody well fit!


----------



## darren636

BigTom said:


> Well they only bloody well fit!


 Any room for... You know.... Fish?


----------



## BigTom

Heh there's actually more room more than before. However I do have a bucket full of trident fern and pellia that's going to need  a home now.


----------



## GHNelson

Surprising what you squeeze into a tank


----------



## BigTom

Having 9 square feet of substrate helps!


----------



## Henry

Tom, I think you should seek professional help...


----------



## Lee Sweeting

Hi Tom i would be interested in some trident


----------



## Aron_Dip

I don't know how you get something so perfect rip things out and start over... Amazing


----------



## BigTom

Aron_Dip said:


> I don't know how you get something so perfect rip things out and start over... Amazing



Mainly it's laziness I think. I rarely ever do any trimming and find that things tend to peak and then get overgrown to the point that some plants get completely overshadowed and everything starts looking a bit tatty. Then it's just as easy to do a major overhaul rather than fix it.


----------



## BigTom

Everything's still quite hazy, but you may be able to spot one or two new crypts -







Let the melt begin!


----------



## James O

How is your peacock goby liking his redecorated pad?


----------



## BigTom

He's just a really miserable sod all the time. He seemed to enjoy chasing shrimp in the planting confusion though, normally he's too slow to catch them.


----------



## darren636

BigTom said:


> Everything's still quite hazy, but you may be able to spot one or two new crypts -
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Let the melt begin!


 it wouldn't be crypt-mas without melt


----------



## James O

BigTom said:


> He's just a really miserable sod all the time. He seemed to enjoy chasing shrimp in the planting confusion though, normally he's too slow to catch them.



Haha!  I saw some Peacock Gobys at MA Hickstead. Really fancy one.  I'll wait until my £3 125l Jewel tank is cycled though


----------



## Alastair

Perfect mate.  Nothing better than a shallow crypt bucket.  
Love this version the most.  
I was only saying to the guy the other day who they came from that I hope they get used in a crypt specific set up and youve done just that.


----------



## BigTom

Alastair said:


> Perfect mate.  Nothing better than a shallow crypt bucket.
> Love this version the most.
> I was only saying to the guy the other day who they came from that I hope they get used in a crypt specific set up and youve done just that.



Yeah seemed best to let them be the focus. Apart from the carpet, a little trident fern on the rocks at the back and 3_ Cyperus helferi_ there's nothing but crypts now.


----------



## Edvet

Again, wonderfull! Speechless!
Wel almost, it could use some crypts though


----------



## Rob P

That looks AMAZING Tom!!


----------



## Phil Edwards

That's stunning Tom, truly.  The open space is a great change too.  

Have you considered a big bunch of C. balansae or a Laeganandra there between the two sticks at about the optical focus point on the left?  Personally, I'd be hard pressed not to put an A. madagascariensis or N. zhenkeri in that spot.


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## BigTom

Phil Edwards said:


> That's stunning Tom, truly.  The open space is a great change too.
> 
> Have you considered a big bunch of C. balansae or a Laeganandra there between the two sticks at about the optical focus point on the left?  Personally, I'd be hard pressed not to put an A. madagascariensis or N. zhenkeri in that spot.



Cheers Phil and thanks for the suggestions. I'm putting off thinking about possible focal plants until things have settled down and the inevitable melt is out of the way. There'll probably be some tweaking as things take shape.

It is nice to have things a little more open after the two previously mega-overgrown scapes.


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## Edvet

Which small green foregroundplant is that again? Tenellus?


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## BigTom

Edvet said:


> Which small green foregroundplant is that again? Tenellus?



Mainly Lileaopsis brasiliensis, although there's a little Glosso and Eleocharis mixed in.


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## ajadcock

BigTom said:


> He's just a really miserable sod all the time. He seemed to enjoy chasing shrimp in the planting confusion though, normally he's too slow to catch them.


Tis the nature of the peacock - 1 male and 2 lady friends and he was still grumpy as hell - its that face I think they just look thoroughly fed up lol


Adam

Sent from a 486DX...


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## EnderUK

I'm sure it will be an overgrown jungle soon once again.Looks very good.


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## kirk

Love the disclaimer, love the bucket of mud too tom. You must get some pretty cool shadows from the emersed on the wall.  enjoying the read and the pics ta.


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## faizal

looking really nice there Tom,....(not that it was any less perfect before the re scape...) ,....Look at that carpet.,,...amazing,...


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## BigTom

Well after a month of melting hard, the crypts seem to be getting the hang of it 

Still a bit patchy in places but lots of new growth coming through.


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## Alastair

Very jealous of that carpet


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## Rob P

Yeh, me too! What is it again Tom? Lilaeopsis brasiliensis? In hard tap water?

Stunning.


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## BigTom

Rob P said:


> Yeh, me too! What is it again Tom? Lilaeopsis brasiliensis? In hard tap water?
> 
> Stunning.



Yup, predominantly_ L. brasiliensis_ but with some _Eleocharis, M._ 'monte carlo', _Glosso_ and Al's mystery carpet plant mixed in. My tap water is actually fairly soft, but the lime in the substrate pushes it up a lot.


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## Rob P

Al's mystery carpet plant lol. Didn't do much for me in hi tech. Gave it all to Lee (Roots Dyed Black low tech) and saw his tank last week, it's going great guns.

I do wonder if some plants don't like co2...  

Looking great anyway Tom, amazing sense of depth


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## BigTom

Cheers Rob. Al's plants basically sat and did nothing in my tank for months, it's only in the past few weeks that they've taken off and are chucking out runners. Just seem to need a long acclimatisation maybe.


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## Edvet

Wow, nice!
(is that a stich or a crop, which lens)


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## Lee Sweeting

Its looking amazing Tom.


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## EnderUK

I've never experienced this unexplained crypts melting that other's have. That tank looks fantastic though.


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## BigTom

Edvet said:


> Wow, nice!
> (is that a stich or a crop, which lens)



Cheers Ed. Had the pano head on the tripod so thought I might as well use it! 5 stitched shots at 12mm (24mm equivalent) but with loads of overlap. It does exaggerate the width a bit.


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## BigTom

EnderUK said:


> I've never experienced this unexplained crypts melting that other's have. That tank looks fantastic though.



It's not really unexplained. Crypts tend to live in swampy areas and riverbanks where the water levels often change, so they've adapted to quickly shed their leaves and grow new ones appropriate for the conditions when they experience large environmental changes. In this case bring uprooted from someone else's tank, sent through the post and replanted in totally condition water, haha.


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## ourmanflint

I can only echo what others have said already! Magnifico!


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## EnderUK

BigTom said:


> It's not really unexplained. Crypts tend to live in swampy areas and riverbanks where the water levels often change, so they've adapted to quickly shed their leaves and grow new ones appropriate for the conditions when they experience large environmental changes. In this case bring uprooted from someone else's tank, sent through the post and replanted in totally condition water, haha.



Like I said I haven't experienced this with my crypts, either in first planting them or when uprooted them tore out half their roots and replanted them in the new scape. The little I had was a slight darkening of the leaves. I have read that some people do a minor change then all their crypts in the tank have a mass melt before growing back. The swamp thing explains this I guess.


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## BigTom

EnderUK said:


> Like I said I haven't experienced this with my crypts, either in first planting them or when uprooted them tore out half their roots and replanted them in the new scape. The little I had was a slight darkening of the leaves. I have read that some people do a minor change then all their crypts in the tank have a mass melt before growing back. The swamp thing explains this I guess.



Yeah it seems to be pretty hit and miss. My guess is there's probably a pretty complex species*environmental cue interaction with regards to triggers.


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## Alastair

BigTom said:


> Cheers Ed. Had the pano head on the tripod so thought I might as well use it! 5 stitched shots at 12mm (24mm equivalent) but with loads of overlap. It does exaggerate the width a bit.



 totally went over my head that bit lol


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## Edvet

BigTom said:


> Crypts tend to live in swampy areas and riverbanks where the water levels often change


Not sure but for me i always feel crypts ususaly live submerged but can tolerate drought, while Becephelandra's usualy live emersed but can tolerate emersion.


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## BigTom

Edvet said:


> Not sure but for me i always feel crypts ususaly live submerged but can tolerate drought, while Becephelandra's usualy live emersed but can tolerate emersion.



Yeah you might be right Ed, I'm no expert. If you seach Michael Lo's blog for crypts there's loads of biotope shots and the crypts seem to be out of the water almost as often as not, depending on season.

http://junglemikey.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=cryptocoryne


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## Edvet

Yeah i know his work, thx. Somehow it seems there is more available on Asia then on South America, biotopewise


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## BigTom

Well chaps, I'm afraid that's it. After 3 years, 4 months and 15 days, the Bucket has been taken down. I have a rather drawn out house move planned at the end of the month, so it seemed best for the livestock to find them new homes here and start again from scratch at the other end (with an upgrade!).

Thanks very much to everyone that's contributed to the journal and given their knowledge and encouragement, I've loved every minute of this tank and learned a lot.

This morning -



 

Just now, catching the last few shrimp -


 

The End


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## TOO

I imagine you are in a state of mild trauma after pulling this out and up. 

What's the next project tank wise?

Thomas


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## BigTom

TOO said:


> I imagine you are in a state of mild trauma after pulling this out and up.
> 
> What's the next project tank wise?
> 
> Thomas



I'm about to have a large medicinal Laphroaig 

The new project will start in a couple of months, I'm still ironing out the details but lots of people will recognise the glass box!


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## Reuben

It was a brilliant tank and accompanying journal!  An inspiration to those of us interested in these things!


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## DrRob

Truly the end of an era. You, and your tank, have been an inspiration, and I thank you. Looking forward to what you can come up with next.


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## TOO

BigTom said:


> I'm about to have a large medicinal Laphroaig
> 
> The new project will start in a couple of months, I'm still ironing out the details but lots of people will recognise the glass box!



In the midst of trauma, some continuity is reassuring .

Thomas


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## Edvet

So you taking over Alistair's big tank so he can go even bigger?


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## BigTom

Edvet said:


> So you taking over Alistair's big tank so he can go even bigger?



I'm not sure I'm that much of a masochist. But yeah, Alastair is incredibly kindly donating the old 4x4 and some other things to the next project.


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## EnderUK

Best of luck on the house move. This will be a classic for many years,


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## tim

Epic journey to follow from start to finish, lost count of the times I've read and re read this journal, thinking one day I'll have my own slice of nature just like this, legend


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## Andy D

Sad to see it go but also exciting to see what you do next.

Hope the move goes as planned and I will be eagerly awaiting the next chapter!


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## Alastair

Can only repeat what's already been said mate. This tank has been an inspiration for many, myself included and was my reason for dropping the co2 etc and going shallow with above and below. I remember watching this from the beginning. 

I will still find myself coming back to this and having a re read time and time again. 

I think many will agree that it's not people on here you should be thanking...... More people on here thanking you. 

Onwards and upwards mate. Another super long journal to soon grace ukaps once again


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## Martin in Holland

The last picture really is a bucket of mud. With mud it started and with mud it ended...up to a new bucket


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## parotet

Hi Tom, thanks for this journal... We will miss your bucket! So you are preparing  kind of bucket lake. Sounds good! We'd love to learn from this tank from the very beginning. Don't forget to post every detail. 

Jordi


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## stennyd

Had the pleasure of meeting the big man himself today and the 'Bucket O' Mud', well what's left of it.

Inspirational tank, inspirational chap.

Thanks for the plants,fish and camera chat man, hope the move goes well 

Cant wait for the next 'bucket' 

Stenny


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## BigTom

Hey Stenny, good to meet you earlier. Just got all that mud shifted, time for a cuppa...


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## stennyd

BigTom said:


> Hey Stenny, good to meet you earlier. Just got all that mud shifted, time for a cuppa...



Sure you don't mean a Laphroaig


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## Pedro Rosa

Tom, good luck for your new house and your new project. This one will be missed


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## ADA

Wow just read the whole thing and I was gutted when I got to the end page  looking forward to the next project tho.


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## BigTom

Thanks very much for the heartfelt sendoff! Annoyingly imageshack seems to have broken most of my old image links since it went pay-to-use, I'll try and re-upload most of them when I get a minute.


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## Alastair

BigTom said:


> Thanks very much for the heartfelt sendoff! Annoyingly imageshack seems to have broken most of my old image links since it went pay-to-use, I'll try and re-upload most of them when I get a minute.



Same happened to my chocolate puddle journal when I'd finished it Flickr did something and all links got broken.

Good luck trying.to re ad pics from the past 3 years ha 

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk 2


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## Vinkenoog1977

BigTom said:


> Thanks very much for the heartfelt sendoff! Annoyingly imageshack seems to have broken most of my old image links since it went pay-to-use, I'll try and re-upload most of them when I get a minute.



That woud be awesome, only came across this journal yesterday, and I've been trying to figure out where I could fit a tank like that in my own home ever since! It is/ was just simply amazing, and would love to see (all of) the pics!


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## aliclarke86

It can be achieved on a smaller scale mate 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk


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## sciencefiction

Vinkenoog1977 said:


> That woud be awesome, only came across this journal yesterday, and I've been trying to figure out where I could fit a tank like that in my own home ever since! It is/ was just simply amazing, and would love to see (all of) the pics!



Better later than never  I got inspired by Tom's tank a couple of years ago and this approach yields amazing results, even on a smaller scale as Alice says above  Though the aquascaping abilities can't be duplicated unfortunately


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## aliclarke86

Ali, I'm a man 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk


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## sciencefiction

aliclarke86 said:


> Ali, I'm a man
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk


Sorry, I was second guessing. My apologies


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## aliclarke86

sciencefiction said:


> Sorry, I was second guessing. My apologies


Haha its OK mate 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk


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## Vinkenoog1977

aliclarke86 said:


> It can be achieved on a smaller scale mate
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk


Yeah, I know, was thinking of something like 50x50x25, I'm simply running out of space in my appartment, too many tanks, fish and plants I want and need.


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## Iain Sutherland

It's a sad day to see ukaps best journal and tank come to an end. No doubt the next one will be as inspirational... 
Thanks for the journey Tom.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Dominic

You have both inspired me and opened new doors for me in more ways than one with this tank tom, I just wanted to say thanks. Really looking forwards to your  'crater of mud'  I wish you the best of luck mate.


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## Ady34

Epic tank and journal, will look forward to the sequel


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## BigTom

Thanks guys.

Most of the images from about page 8 onwards should be fixed now hopefully, some of the early ones are still missing but I'll have to sort them out another time.


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## Iain Sutherland

Wow Tom that must have been a mission! Much appreciated though as I was reading through it again the other day and i really missed the images matching the dialogue.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Alastair

Iain Sutherland said:


> Wow Tom that must have been a mission! Much appreciated though as I was reading through it again the other day and i really missed the images matching the dialogue.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



I know the feeling  same things happened to my puddle. 
Unlike Tom I didn't have the patience

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk 2


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## faizal

Last as always to catch up with things,....really looking forward to the next project Tom,...hope your house move progresses smoothly. Absolutely agree with Alastair that we should be the ones thanking you for giving us the inspiration to go the low tech way. It's been a real journey with your tank


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## BigTom

Iain Sutherland said:


> Wow Tom that must have been a mission! Much appreciated though as I was reading through it again the other day and i really missed the images matching the dialogue.



Actually all it took was badgering imageshack customer service until they fixed the links at their end. The earlier shots aren't linked to an account so I'll have to fix them manually, which will take a while.




faizal said:


> Last as always to catch up with things,....really looking forward to the next project Tom,...hope your house move progresses smoothly. Absolutely agree with Alastair that we should be the ones thanking you for giving us the inspiration to go the low tech way. It's been a real journey with your tank



Thanks Faizal. I basically had no idea what I was doing when I started this journal, probably 80-90% of everything I've learned since has come from UKAPS.


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## sanj

aliclarke86 said:


> Ali, I'm a man
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk



Hehe... I am not the only one who got that wrong.[DOUBLEPOST=1402239176][/DOUBLEPOST]So my big rainbowfish tank is wider than it is tall so 244cm x 93cm x 70cm high. I did wonder in the past, but is this a good dimension for the BigTom/Lil'Al approach?


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## Alastair

sanj said:


> Hehe... I am not the only one who got that wrong.[DOUBLEPOST=1402239176][/DOUBLEPOST]So my big rainbowfish tank is wider than it is tall so 244cm x 93cm x 70cm high. I did wonder in the past, but is this a good dimension for the BigTom/Lil'Al approach?



You thinking of dropping it to low tech then sanj?? 

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk 2


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## sanj

I am not sure, the thing is my co2 supply is dirt cheap, I am charged £10 refill for the all the cannisters I own including the 2x5kg ones. I just have to drive to Brum to get it. The other thing though is my tank stocking is on the high side, so I dont know how that works with this approach.


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## BigTom

Should be doable I think Sanj... I didn't really have any emergent plants - just submerged and riparians so the water depth doesn't matter from that point of view, assuming you have hardscape or caddies at the surface for planting riparians in. High stocking should be fine as long as you keep appropriate filtration going, flow is still a good thing in my experience.

Your overall surface area: volume ratio is about half what this tank had, but then that probably isn't massively important, especially if you have more surface movement.


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## Alastair

sanj said:


> I am not sure, the thing is my co2 supply is dirt cheap, I am charged £10 refill for the all the cannisters I own including the 2x5kg ones. I just have to drive to Brum to get it. The other thing though is my tank stocking is on the high side, so I dont know how that works with this approach.



Well the co2 is just like a drug addiction, you'd need to taper it down over a period of a couple of months, 3 or 4 ish whilst knocking the lighting levels down too. You may get some die back on some of the plants initially but they'll grow new leaves adapted to the lower energy. Plus with the amount of fish you have in their I don't think you'd need to dose much in the way of npk. Maybe just 1/10th ei traces split into a weekly dose. 

Or just stick to co2 lol. To be honest I think I'll be dropping back to low tech over the next month or two. Not enjoying going back to injecting 

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk 2


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## Andy D

BigTom said:


> Thanks guys.
> 
> Most of the images from about page 8 onwards should be fixed now hopefully, some of the early ones are still missing but I'll have to sort them out another time.



Hey Tom, 

I know you have another project on the go and are probably very busy but any update on getting the earlier photos up? I find that this thread is referenced a fair bit on here and PFK and it would be nice to have it complete.


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## BigTom

Andy D said:


> Hey Tom,
> 
> I know you have another project on the go and are probably very busy but any update on getting the earlier photos up? I find that this thread is referenced a fair bit on here and PFK and it would be nice to have it complete.



Thanks for the reminder Andy. In the middle of a house move right now so  lots of diy and not much Internet for the next couple of weeks but I'll try and get it fixed when I can.


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## Andy D

BigTom said:


> Thanks for the reminder Andy. In the middle of a house move right now so  lots of diy and not much Internet for the next couple of weeks but I'll try and get it fixed when I can.



Thanks Tom!

Me and many others will be very grateful!


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## darren636

oh no!
 all the best tom, with everything.   your journal is probably the most inspiring ive had the good fortune to read.


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## BigTom

Thanks Darren. Just reminded about those photos too - I'll sit down now and compile a list of the broken URLs and ask ImageShack if they can restore them.


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## BigTom

Pics fixed! 

(bar one which I couldn't find)

Got me all nostalgic viewing the stuff from the first year again.


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## Vinkenoog1977

Thanks Tom, was great to see all the pics; what an amazing adventure this Bucket was!


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## Samuran

Do you have enough pics from a similar enough angle to do a "time lapse" Tom?


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## BigTom

I doubt it Ben. That would have required forethought! Plus there were so many re-arrangements and rescapes and big gaps between updates that it'd be pretty hectic.


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## Samuran

Yeah I wasnt expecting anything professional looking.....


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## Jaybles

What an amazing journal. It's a shame it's over but I can't wait to see what you do next.


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## DannyH

This journal make for a great read over with a few cups of coffee  Three hours later and despite it now being tomorrow I'm in aww... truly inspirational


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## Chrispowell

Cant wait for the new project already! Amazing


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## Tim Harrison

DannyH said:


> This journal make for a great read over with a few cups of coffee  Three hours later and despite it now being tomorrow I'm in aww... truly inspirational


It's ingrained in aquascaping legend...


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## roadmaster

Was an inspiration for my soil based tank's and a great comfort while trying hard to accept my obvious complete lack of aquascaping skill's
I took great comfort in the simplicity, and very much enjoyed the many trial's and tribulation's.


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## Zeus.

Inspirational read, great journal


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## Fiske

DannyH said:


> This journal make for a great read over with a few cups of coffee  Three hours later and despite it now being tomorrow I'm in aww... truly inspirational



I did that too... And then read it again. A fantastic tank. Now I need to figure out how to have something like this on wobbly wooden floors


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## kedar301

hi guys, new here on this forum.

I know this thread is way too old.....but ....
Have been reading this article from the beginning. It is inspirational. kudos to @BigTom. I am planning a 6x2x2 tank to re-enter the hobby and this could well be a thing to do with a large tank.


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## kedar301

lot of people have mentioned a word called Journal in this thread. So does that mean this whole setup is written in the form of a journal (life scientific journal) or a kind of a report? If so then how can i access it?


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## seedoubleyou

kedar301 said:


> lot of people have mentioned a word called Journal in this thread. So does that mean this whole setup is written in the form of a journal (life scientific journal) or a kind of a report? If so then how can i access it?


This section of the Forum is called ‘journals’ it’s for people to share and document their aquariums. How you choose to do so is up to you.
In essence this whole thread is the ‘Journal’


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## kedar301

ok understood


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## kedar301

hi all,
this is what i am planning as a staring point....

180cm Long x 75cm wide x 65cm tall tank (roughly 6ft L x 2.5ft W x 2ft T) with a Bean Animal overflow system. with a tank (not a sump) underneath being 160cm Long x 60cm wide x 65cm tall (roughly 5ft L x 2ft W x 2ft T).

Now the plan for the top tank is to be like the one BigTom had started. and the tank underneath is plant free tank with rocks setup. I have noticed that BigTom had pH issues where water got hard. I am planning to make use of this phenomenon and may do bottom tank as an African Tanganyika Biotope.

if everyone suggest then i would like to start a new thread but then it will for along time only be an information gathering thread.

What i would also like suggestions on is....What woods and plants you guys think i should be using? the Top of the tank will be open with suspended lights.


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## dw1305

Hi all,


kedar301 said:


> I have noticed that BigTom had pH issues where water got hard. I am planning to make use of this phenomenon and may do bottom tank as an African Tanganyika Biotope.


I think he used John Innes Compost (JI), which has lime added and this meant that, even though his tap water was soft, over time the tank water became harder, which wasn't ideal for the Licorice Gourami _(Parosphromenus)_ that he started with.  If you have hard tap water, normally you will have hard tank water.

cheers Darrel


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## kedar301

That's an interesting thing. I am not planning to keep the same fish as BigTom. But interesting thing. I will have to check my water pH level.

Sent from my VOG-L29 using Tapatalk


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## fishandting

This thread is inspirational!

Highly misleading title though, as I was expecting to see a little muddy dirted bowl or something, rather than an envy-inducing tank to aspire to. I've bookmarked the thread so one day when I have the time and space I can aim for something similar. Thanks!


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