# Meander - Ended As Planted 31/07/2021



## Gill (24 Aug 2020)

So this will be the new tank for the new house.
Will be Collecting it at the end of the week to be setup etc later. 

Specs:
Model: OakStyle Shades 145L
Volume In Litres: 145.
Dimensions: 81W x 38D x 55H cm.
Aquarium Colour: Flint Grey.
Lighting: Stock LED + Fluval 3.
Filtration: Ocellaris 850 + Sponge Filter, Don't want alot of flow in this one. Will be using Glassware, just not decided which type yet.
Also will be putting in an Air Curtain at the back pane, as found this worked really well with a low flow tank. 

Hardscape: Redmoor Twigs - I have already chucked a few into the water butt there to soak. Will be using mature Lava rock to help Seed the tank with Bacteria and Critters. 
Substrate: Unipac Riversand.
Planting:   Eleocharis Vivipara,  Eleocharis pusilla, Moss tied to wood. Floaters as well, have a tub of them growing nicely and a nice supply in the pond.

Tank will be going in the Kitchen/Diner
Its going to be a Low tech tank and a slow burner. Will try an resist tinkering with it, and just let it grow and mature over time.


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## Gill (25 Aug 2020)

Have ordered 15 kilos of lava Rock substrate for the base level. And then will be capped with sand. Layers will be separated by crochet netting. As have used this method before. 

Also will be running a UGF under the lava rock. To give the best turnover of water and surface area for bacteria to colonise. 

Tried a few methods for securing the twigs yesterday. And glueing them to rocks worked out OK, so that they stay vertical at the angle I want them to be. 

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## Melll (25 Aug 2020)

Morning 

Do you have any photos or is this still at the "giving it a good coat of looking over" stage


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## Gill (25 Aug 2020)

Its this tank. Its sitting at the store waiting for me. 







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## PARAGUAY (25 Aug 2020)

Thought you had MTS again Gill at first glance


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## Melll (25 Aug 2020)

That`s nice and a really good price too 👍


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## SMW945 (26 Aug 2020)

I think you’ve made a really good choice. I have the same tank, albeit different colour trim. I didn’t buy it with the cabinet as I have a low oak cabinet that I prefer. I’ve found it it be just the right size for my lounge. At present I do run it with an internal filter, purely down to nowhere to place an external without it being on show which my wife would frown upon. However, it’s the Oase Bioplus Thermo 200 which I have to say for an internal has been brilliant. Running with CO2 injection now (recent upgrade) and looking towards upgrading lighting (Twinstar perhaps). Enjoy 👍


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## Gill (29 Aug 2020)

Glad I forgot to have the tank delivered. Builder was repairing the kitchen ceiling this morning. And replastering it all, so alot of mess and dust.
Kitchen does look alot better, but will now need redecorating. So that job is next before tank goes in.

Decided against sand, going to cap with soil. Now to go for black or red soil substrate, Over the lava rock.

I have an idea I saw on a gardening scape show, but not sure if it will work in a tank. The bits are cheap enough and would need x2 panels. Just need o make up my mind about it. If it works it should look amazing from my point of view. And add a very different depth to the scape. Depending on which style to go with.

I did something similar over 15 years ago in a 3 footer, but it was not on this scale.




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## Jayefc1 (29 Aug 2020)

Looking forward to what you do in that beautiful tank mate can't wait


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## SMW945 (30 Aug 2020)

Interested in your addition of the Fluval 3 lights to the tank, as I have the same tank, with the stock lighting (which seems ok-ish) and with the oak trim around the top, but looking to upgrade my lighting to get the best out of the plants. The Fluval 3 is on my shortlist. I’m assuming that there are no modifications needed and the Fluval 3 light bar, and it can rest on the glass margin on top of the tank, inside the oak trim?


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## Gill (30 Aug 2020)

SMW945 said:


> Interested in your addition of the Fluval 3 lights to the tank, as I have the same tank, with the stock lighting (which seems ok-ish) and with the oak trim around the top, but looking to upgrade my lighting to get the best out of the plants. The Fluval 3 is on my shortlist. I’m assuming that there are no modifications needed and the Fluval 3 light bar, and it can rest on the glass margin on top of the tank, inside the oak trim?



yep will sit on the glass happily, will also be using a smart 4 way.  So that i can also control the stock lighting from my phone.


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## SMW945 (30 Aug 2020)

Gill said:


> yep will sit on the glass happily, will also be using a smart 4 way.  So that i can also control the stock lighting from my phone.


Sounds good. I think it’s worthwhile keeping the stock lighting going 👍


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## Gill (17 Oct 2020)

Apologies for the lack of updates, 
Life gets in the way.
House Sales is moving at a snails pace. Buyers have so far completed each stage of paperwork wrong, so have had to be coached by the agent and solicitors. 
Works at the new house are done, and just waiting for the lights etc to be reconnected. And then for the fencing and gates to be replaced from storm damage. 
Need to make a decision about the flooring in my room. As it is currently painted squares pattern. 

Tank is being delivered on the 24th, and will sadly remain packed until ready to setup. 
Fish are doing well in the temp tote. 

_Back to work finally after nearly 7 months, which was strange. And there are still more uncertainty about what will happen. As alot of the workforce come from neighbouring notts. So that is being looked at.  I am on Outbound sales, which I don't mind. As only speak to a handful of people a day(95% answer machine)_


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## Gill (5 Nov 2020)

nothing much to update, 
Vertigo started so not been in for 2 weeks. And so could not collect the tank. 
Does not look like the sale will go thru before Christmas. So will see what happens, and plan accordingly.


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## Ady34 (6 Nov 2020)

Hope you feel better soon Gill.


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## Gill (18 Jan 2021)

Apologies for the lack of an update.

House sale has been delayed by buyers incompetence throughout. And finally happening on Tuesday. 
Did only get 6 days notice from the solicitors. So have scrambled to move everything.
Severely underestimated how many things I own. So the living room in full to the brim with boxes etc spilling into the kitchen diner. 
Garden is a tip at this point. And waiting on a skip to arrive over the coming days to start sorting things out. 

Went to move the fish over and dunno what happened, but they all started dying. Dunno if it was shock or something else. They were fine in the morning, when they were fed. Managed to save only a couple of minnows and a frog. Everything else died. 

Will set the tank up once I can sort out the mountain of stuff to go thru. 

Got no BB till Wednesday and no TV till the 26th. Thanfully was able to get Internet swap over quickly. 

This has certainly been a challenging move. What with brother not getting time off. So moving stuff quickly during lunch breaks was not fun. And in the dark in the evenings. Thankfully the new house was only a few minutes away. So could dash to and from with stuff. 

Also back to work at the end of the week, as work from home team. So that will be good. 

See you all soon. 

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## Onoma1 (18 Jan 2021)

Good luck with the move. I have just been through this process so fully empathise. I am looking forward to seeing your next tank when you have settled in to your new house.


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## Gill (23 Jan 2021)

Well Work Screwed up my Dates. So its the 22nd Feb return now, as I also had a months worth of holidays accrued during furlough, so need to use these. This does mean I will have more time to settle in the Scape and do it this right 1st time. Went to Deans this afternoon for a look around and see what the availability of plants and fish was going to be. And found some Stunning long twisty Malaysian bogwood pieces. These were grabbed and paid for, and now soaking in the water butt. 
Plants should be easy enough from Aquafleur, and browsing the instore catalogue poster chose the below.
Fish may take a little more time to source, but Dean will get what I want. 

Planting. 
Foreground Carpet: Pots
_ELEOCHARIS ACICULARIS X10_
_ELEOCHARIS PARVULA X6
ELEOCHARIS VIVIPARA X5
HYDROCOTYLE TRIPARTITA X3 
HYDROCOTYLE VERTICILLATA X2
ERIOCAULON CINEREUM X2
ERIOCAULON SP. VIETNAM X2_
_SAGITTARIA SUBULATA X3_
Background: Pots
_CRINUM CALAMISTRATUM X3 - Back Far Left outlet flow
VALLISNERIA NANA X10 - Mixed into back/mid ground. _
Hardscape:
XXXL Bogwood - Soaking in Water butt. 
To Attach to Hardscape: Pots
_ANUBIAS NANA BONZAI x10_

Inverts: 
Cherry shrimp mixed colours X100 - _Will be added in batches when they are Available to order_
Vampire Shrimp X5
Thai Micro Crabs X50 - _Will be added in batches when they are Available to order_
Ramshorn Snails - _Whatever is in with the Minnow Fry_
Malaysian Trumpet Snails - _To keep the Substrate turned over._

Fish:
Will Add the Minnow fry, whatever there is in that tank from the garden. 
Chilli Rasboras X150 or more - _Will be added in batches when they are Available to order._
Rosy Loaches X 5
Martensi Pipefish X20 - _Will be added in batches when they are Available to order._
Heterandria Formosa X 10 - _standard and gold_

Filtration will continue to be the stock external, and a UGF x2 plates powered by 400LPH air pump. Contemplating adding a Jebao cross flow wave maker, but for now a 3W nano wavemaker will do. Rockpool Aquatics used this in the the open top tanks, and the flow was impressive and multi directional. I liked that there was a pause function for feeding. And that each head could be set to a different speed and flow rate.


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## Gill (24 Jan 2021)

The Custom living backgrounds I had ordered in September of last year never did arrive. So had been battling for a refund, Which has now been processed. 
And as there was only one supplier that I had found, dont want to use that method. And had been pricing up making this myself, which came out to Over 165GBP, so not something I wanted to try and fail at. 
So after searching for a few hours today. I have chosen I Resin Background. And asked for it to be modified for my inlet and outlet. I will have to cut it carefully with the Dremmel due to the inner glass cover. And then slot it back into place, and glue if necessary. They are Similar to the ones that Joey used on builds on the king of DIY Channel, but not at those costs. 
I think that they will work really well. As I can fill the void areas with media and use uplift tubes to pull more water thru. And then Drill out outlets for them. Not going to make them myself this time, so will be using spare UGF uplifts and outlets for this purpose. So there will be 4 Uplifts with Outlets at the back of the Void Area pulling water thru the grated inlets and then the water will pass thru the Biomedia bags and foams. 
Also the background will help to hide all the pipework, Heater and wiring. There should be nothing but the hardscaping and planting viewable within the main area of the tank, bar the powehead. 
I will then attach lots of Moss to the background to hide any joints etc. And also to make it look more mature. 
If in the future I decide that a Cross Stream powerhead would be beneficial this would be easily fitted.

I know I never follow conventional methods for setting up, scaping, plant choices, and fish choices. And that is my Choice and I enjoy the process more this way. 



I have sent out enquiries to other suppliers to see what pricing they can do for the inverts and fish, just so I can buy from the most reasonable place.


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## Gill (26 Jan 2021)

I have been able to source the shrimp thru BAND, from a localish breeder. Who will drop them off next week. And at a less then half what I had been quoted. And they look like they are mostly fire reds. So that is sorted, and local water, so don't have to be acclimated for hours. 

Rasboras pricing is as to be expected and is a fair price tbh. So these will be ordered aswell. 

Pipefish will be harder to find, but happy to wait till the prey is mature and established. 

Micro crabs ate easy enough to get, so they can be ordered accordingly. Might ask if I can go to the wholesalers, as never been to this one before. 

Space has been cleaned and wiring done for the outlets. 


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## Karmicnull (26 Jan 2021)

Been looking up Thai micro crabs - they sound interesting.  Looking forward to finding out how they get on.
Cheers,
  Simon


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## Gill (26 Jan 2021)

Karmicnull said:


> Been looking up Thai micro crabs - they sound interesting.  Looking forward to finding out how they get on.
> Cheers,
> Simon



They are very unassuming, Keep tp themselves and you may spot one every so often hanging about in the mass of plants. or wafting for food particles. Their legs do come off very easily though, so you have to be delicate with them, I use a fan makeup brush when adding them to the tanks. As they you can lift them up nicely and gently lower them into the water. 
I inadvertently posted one of them with plants many years ago. And it survived fine for up to a week in transit.


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## Gill (26 Jan 2021)

Bit of a Disaster today, brother was chucking all the accumulated stuff in the garden into the skip. And threw away all my spare tanks and tubs into the skip. As he thought the plants were all junk. 
There was only about 4 inches of water in each tank and tub to keep the plants alive. And he chucked the tank with the Longfin Minnow fry in it aswell, that was in the Lean To . There was no chance of saving anything, as all the tanks etc smashed in the Skip. Even my Tall tank from Custom Aquaria did not survive, and that was going to have orchid mantids in it.
Oh well these things can happen when moving house. 

It does give me the excuse to buy all new Tubs etc for outdoor projects though on the Patio.


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## si walker (27 Jan 2021)

Does your brother have any animals at home?


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## Gill (27 Jan 2021)

si walker said:


> Does your brother have any animals at home?


No, he just about tolerates my dog.


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## TheOslo (27 Jan 2021)

damn for that price you can get a rimless tank?


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## Gill (27 Jan 2021)

TheOslo said:


> damn for that price you can get a rimless tank?


I have had a few rimless tanks now. Wanted to go back to a hooded tank. As want to create planting shelves on the Bracing Lip. And that way the baskets will be hidden by the hood. I will be using the fridge storage baskets, as they have a handy handle for lifting out for maintenance. And they are easily modified to accept and inlet and outlet.


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## Gill (28 Jan 2021)

Tank will be delivered today, and Dean is Kindly Building the Cabinet for me. As I would mostly ruin it.
Will post pix as I start fitting everything together and the background with the prefilter etc.
I have also Ordered some interesting lighting modules to try out on this, to see how the plants will react. I used something Similar many years ago, and had good growth from it. Plus it looks like a Triffid to me 😂


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## Gill (28 Jan 2021)

Also I will document the corale I will be making for the floating plants. So that they are not buffeted about and have a chance to grow into a dense matt. Like in Sea of Ferns.


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## Gill (29 Jan 2021)

Tank was delivered at 1pm and just sat down. 
I thought I was doing well. And then the postie arrived with 20 Parcels. So the timing was perfect.
Got the plants unpacked that i had bough from here  and everything else. 
Still cant figure out how to connect to the smart extension plug. And after 30 mins unplugged it and plugged in a normal plug. 
I had forgotten how long it takes to set up everything from scratch. 
Everything has been setup Bar the Additional Lighting. AS this is still to arrive. 
I do really like how bright the luminaire looks. and they way it sits above the tank on the goosenecks. 
I realised after finishing. That I Made a mistake with the resin background.  And put it in place before i put the gravel in. So the level is all wrong. 
So will have to remove all the planting and hardscape and add more gravel and then re add it and then start again. 
The glare was bad so pix look crap. As there is light coming from behind the tank and from the living room window. 
The Dog bless him was underfoot the whole time, hoping for some plants to eat. So gave him the occasional vallis to munch on. In the end had to give him one of his venison treats to keep him quiet, so that i could get one with it. 

Aldo glad that i went shopping earlier in the day, and picked up the multitool that was on offer in Lidl, as it made cutting the background the size a doddle. 

I do really like the tank and how it looks. And will take better pix tomorrow. As I still need to build the canopy.


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## Gill (29 Jan 2021)

Also I did not notice that the Bloody Mary Shrimp had also arrived and had been sitting on the front step. So these have been chucked in a jug for now. Will have to stay there, as was not expecting them till next week.


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## Gill (30 Jan 2021)

This is with the background in and the XXL peice of bogwood. 
And I hate it. So the background will be removed and the tank replanted and scaped. 
Really did think I would like it more, but sadly not. 
And thank you to everyone for the plants. They are more like mother plants. And completely blew me away.

The floating plants will be added once I make a corale for them. 









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## Gill (30 Jan 2021)

The filtration is all follows:
UGF:
X2 plates with a 400lph pump driving them
Then a layer of bio media balls
Then the fluorite red x1 bag
Then x1 bag of the reddish brown Betta gravel x25kilos(did not wash, just added water very slowly). And this will give me a nice deep bed for filtration.

External is OK, 850 lph and a 1000lph wave maker. 

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## Gill (31 Jan 2021)

Unusual lighting arrived and it is massive, alot bigger than expected and maybe too big for this size tank. I will fit it and see how is looks. Or it will be my Desk Lamp. Certainly looks cool when on. And it has a Built in Timer and strobe effect.


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## Gill (1 Feb 2021)

Ripped out the Background and redid the tank and scape.
Looks so much better now that the plants are where I wanted them to be. 
Bogwood has been turned up and over, and now looks proper. Creating a large Arch and planting area above the water line. 
Kessil Light arrived, and the shimmer effect is stunning. 
Also added the Eheim Prefilter, as why not use it.
Shrimp are coming later today, as found someone local closing down their breeding tank and also their BN Plecs breeders. So bought them all. 

I finally feel happy with the tank. I guess I was in a Funk when it arrived, and just threw it together without much thought.

Will take some pix later once the glare has gone.


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## Gill (1 Feb 2021)

Have added some pentazonas, for a different peaceful dither. 

I really like the arch this peice of bogwood makes. 

I will make a living background again, but this time. I will use crochet netting. And attach moss and plants to it. And it will be attached using suction cups used for airline. 













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## Gill (1 Feb 2021)

I know that it does not look like much at the moment. This will be a long journey, and it will be months before the plants start to grow in the way I had envisaged. I will try not to tweak it too much and just let it be.


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## jaypeecee (1 Feb 2021)

Gill said:


> Also will be running a UGF under the lava rock. To give the best turnover of water and surface area for bacteria to colonise.


Hi @Gill 

I will be interested in keeping track of developments. The first tank I had used a UGF.

JPC


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## Stueylake (1 Feb 2021)

Looks great, can't wait to see more as it grows


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## Gill (3 Feb 2021)

Little bit of a bacterial bloom this morning, which is to be expected.
A few of the crinums have melted as expected, they should send out new growth soon. Snails are doing their jobs and eating what has melted.
Fish are doing great, And it is lovely to watch them swim amongst the stems and in and around the massive bogwood. And this will only look better as the plants grow taller and begin to sway in the flow.  And once I have sourced the pipefish, they will love the grab holds all over the tank. And at all levels of the water column. 

I am really enjoying the shimmer from the Kessil lighting, it looks great in the evening. And also saves having to turn on any lamps downstairs.
I have not plugged in the fluval lighting, as I dont think I will need it. I also still have a Chihiros light unit left. might use it might not.


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## Gill (3 Feb 2021)

Shimmer





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## Gill (3 Feb 2021)

quick shimmer vid


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## Sammy Islam (3 Feb 2021)

The pentazona barbs will love it once it's grown in. 

I really miss mine, had them for 3/4 years and they were really interesting fish with great colours and personality. If i was do to a 1 species tank, i would choose the pentazonas for sure!


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## Onoma1 (4 Feb 2021)

I love the shimmer effect.


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## Gill (4 Feb 2021)

No more scaping or tinkering for a few days. Took a nasty fall this morning with the dog, and banged up both knees, twisted the bridge of my left foot and lots of cuts/gashes to my right hand. so in bed with bags of peas on my knees and copius amounts of pain meds and profen.
Thankfully Calcifer did not run off and sat next to me while i got myself up and hobbled home. he has been trying to lick my wounds, and had to tell him not to.
he wont leave my side now.


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## Wookii (4 Feb 2021)

Gill said:


> No more scaping or tinkering for a few days. Took a nasty fall this morning with the dog, and banged up both knees, twisted the bridge of my left foot and lots of cuts/gashes to my right hand. so in bed with bags of peas on my knees and copius amounts of pain meds and profen.
> Thankfully Calcifer did not run off and sat next to me while i got myself up and hobbled home. he has been trying to lick my wounds, and had to tell him not to.
> he wont leave my side now.



I hope you're alright Gill - get well soon!


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## Gill (4 Feb 2021)

Its ok, swollen ankle battered knees. And palm of my hand is still weeping. But not as bloomin painful as this morning. 

Anywhooo my Litjoy box just arrived. And this was in it. And its perfect for scaping needs for needing to keep plants moist while attaching to hardscape. Sprays very fine mist. And bonus harry potter related. 





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## Gill (4 Feb 2021)

Lowest setting on the kessil led. 






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## Gill (8 Feb 2021)

Aquafluer and Aquaflora hit by plant delays now, and prices have gone up. So will be waiting on the main planting for a while. So other plants etc on order.
Have added the fluval light to the back of the tank as, that was getting very dark, and background plants would not have done well.
Also added 200G of weeping moss, as per normal I shred it and let it settle where it falls. So there will be little tufts of it everywhere.


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## Gill (12 Feb 2021)

Hairgrass arrived - Went for Eleocharis pusilla in the end, So got that all prepped and planted this afternoon. 
Replanted a few of the crinums that had come loose and were floating. 
Fish are doing great, and the Pentazonas are so active and really liking them in this scape. And when the light hits them just right and you see the little green flecks in the black stripes, they look very nice. 

Now I forgot to take pix of the corale for the floating plants, its just a sheet of plastic canvas from hobbycraft. its around 5gbp. I cut this to 2inch depth and used the suction cups for Christmas lights to attach it to the rim. It works well and gives the plants a chance to establish without being knocked around by the flow. Hopefully they will grow into a dense enough matt, that they mimick the growth in Sea of Ferns scape. 

Fish wise, not much to add. Main fish are still being sourced and pricing etc. 
Have added a Nice mixed group of Panda Cories, Standard and Long finned x16. And x6 Black Cories. 
And a x3 Calico red long finned Bn Plecs to go with the standard pair. 

I changed the background idea from a living wall. Would have had to take out all the wood to get it in. So have planted a few Hygrophila to cover the back and sides of the tank. Think this will look nice against all the taller stems etc. 

The wood is staining the water with all the tannins being released and the IAL I added. And tbh I don't mind the discolouration. And it makes the fish colours pop nicely. 

Tomorrow going plant buying, and will browse the fish available.


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## Gill (16 Feb 2021)

Someone was looking for Chihiros in the uk, Found these listings while browsing today
Chihiros


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## Gill (18 Feb 2021)

Took out the powerhead and replaced it with a 1400lph internal, flow is much better and the bogwood acts as a baffle to deflect the flow. And also meaning that there are different flow patterns within the water column now. The plecs love the faster flow areas. 
All the crinums have started sending out new shoots and seem to be adapting well. 
Hairgrass carpet is also doing well, and have not seen any melting within it. 

Have ordered some guppy fry, of some that I have not kept in 10+ years, so that will be a nice contrast of color. And will also give an additional hunting source for the pipefish, when they eventually become available. And hopefully they will come down in price, as they are over 25gbp each at the moment. Even Aquamark is showing higher than normal pricing on his lists.


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## Gill (19 Feb 2021)

Quick pic of the apistos.




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## Matthew Robinson (19 Feb 2021)

I love the tank looks beautiful


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## Gill (19 Feb 2021)

Matthew Robinson said:


> I love the tank looks beautiful



Thankyou, will look alot better once it is grown in. And the carpet has started spreading etc.


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## Gill (20 Feb 2021)

Just before lights out.

Added alot more to the background area.
Echindorous Bleheri x4 pots
Hygrophila x3 species x2 pots of each mixed together
Penthorum Sedoides x 2 pots - a new one for me to try.
Alteranthera Rosanervig x2 pots

Just waiting on the anubias and buce to become available again. 





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## Gill (23 Feb 2021)

My Endler Hybrids Arrived this afternoon while I was on Lunch. And I am happy with them, But not happy. There is not a single male in the mix. They All Look Female with the Large Triangular V Anal Fin. 
Hopefully there may be some males lurking that are not showing the Gonopodium yet, I Hope. If Not then I will have to wait for the Breeder to Catch some males and send them to me when they can. 
I have gone for Blond Double Sword/Orange Spot Endler Cross. As they Present Like a Blond Guppy and Little Orange Spots and Sky Blue Swords. Which will be a striking Contrast to the other Inhabitants.


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## Tim Harrison (23 Feb 2021)

Starting to fill out nicely Gill 👍


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## Gill (23 Feb 2021)

Tim Harrison said:


> Starting to fill out nicely Gill 👍


Thanks, now is the waiting game for everything to start creeping and spreading on the Carpet.


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## Gill (23 Feb 2021)

Gill said:


> My Endler Hybrids Arrived this afternoon while I was on Lunch. And I am happy with them, But not happy. There is not a single male in the mix. They All Look Female with the Large Triangular V Anal Fin.
> Hopefully there may be some males lurking that are not showing the Gonopodium yet, I Hope. If Not then I will have to wait for the Breeder to Catch some males and send them to me when they can.
> I have gone for Blond Double Sword/Orange Spot Endler Cross. As they Present Like a Blond Guppy and Little Orange Spots and Sky Blue Swords. Which will be a striking Contrast to the other Inhabitants.



This is what they will look like when adults with bright orange spots - Hopefully.


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## dw1305 (25 Feb 2021)

Hi all,


Gill said:


> Quick pic of the apistos.


The male is _Apistogramma agassizii & _the female is _A. cacatuoides?_

cheers Darrel


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## Gill (25 Feb 2021)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> The male is _Apistogramma agassizii & _the female is _A. cacatuoides?_
> 
> cheers Darrel


Oh Dear they were in the same tank. So Assumed they were being sold as pairs.
I am not clued up on Apistos, And have only ever kept Borelli opal trio many Years ago. I have wanted this male since I saw them years ago. And Jumped at the chance of owning one of the Fire Red Males
I take it then that they may?? cross breed. Or would it be that the male will become aggressive to the female @dw1305
They were the last ones, so got a trio for only £7.99.
If it will be a problem I can catch the females and return them for credit.


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## dw1305 (25 Feb 2021)

Hi all,


Gill said:


> I take it then that they may?? cross breed. Or would it be that the male will become aggressive to the female @dw1305


No, they won't cross-breed. My guess is that they will probably largely ignore each other.

cheers Darrel


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## Gill (28 Feb 2021)

So I brought this luminaire last week and went about normal weekly maintenance routine. 
Finished all that and put this together. 
How on earth are you supposed to turn this light unit on/off if the switch is only 15cm from the power supply. So the switch would have ended up stuck behind the 10way behind the canister filter. So returned it back to the store and had my money refunded. 
Why would superfish design it so poorly i Don't know. 
Should have taken pix of it, it was that pointless of a design. but was that miffed off about, just pushed it all back into its box.





*Slim LED 75*

Size: 75cm
Aquarium Length: Min. 77 cm - Max. 95 cm
Voltage - Wattage: 24V - 34W
Kelvin: 7300
PAR: 230
Lumen (lm): 2984
CRI (complete spectrum): 86


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## Gill (1 Mar 2021)

So after the fiasco with the above luminaire.
I had a look thru my boxes in the shed. And found my original chihiros light units that fit the acrylic stand, but none of the controllers. And decided to plug them in. And surprise surprise they worked fine, so they must have just gotten damp or something. 
Now I thought about fitting them to the tank, but decided against it, as would have had to hunt down some control units for them or on/off switches. And the lack of chihiros accessories for sale means they will prob be scrapped and thrown away.  @Melll do you want them, or anyone else nearby. 

So now I have a mish mash of lighting. 
The fluval sky 28w
the kessil a80 tuna
and x1 chihiros RGB A601 unit. 

I would like input into this. The removable hood slides off the frame, and is 87cm in length. 
So what would people recommend for the lighting. I would like them to be smart so can control the settings from my phone or tablet if possible. 
I was thinking of the fluval 3 plant x2. or would that be overkill. 
Browsing stores and ebay has me all a dither.


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## Kogre (8 Mar 2021)

I love that last full shot of your tank.  It looks really well grown in and the arch on that wood is amazing.  It's perfectly homed in that tank.


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## Gill (8 Mar 2021)

Kogre said:


> I love that last full shot of your tank.  It looks really well grown in and the arch on that wood is amazing.  It's perfectly homed in that tank.


dont hold your breath, the 2nd peice fell off and has ruined alot of the planting, and the nice moss pads that were showing good growth. So will need to take out both pieces and glue them together using the cigarette filter method. 
the lillies have finally sprouted and have started to send out leaves. 
going to wait till my next day off and tackle the hardscape properly and replant everything that has been uplifted in the 2nd piece falling off. Think the Big Male BN plec did not help trying to trap the female in a gap under the arch,


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## Gill (12 Mar 2021)

So not had a day off yet this week, but had my covid vaccination last night. And Feeling very rough indeed. 
Going to order the lighting for it this weekend and see if I like it when it all arrives and I get it set up and running etc.


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## mort (13 Mar 2021)

Feeling rough after is supposedly a good sign. It's believed it gives you a greater immunity because your body has to adapt to the vaccine.


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## Gill (13 Mar 2021)

mort said:


> Feeling rough after is supposedly a good sign. It's believed it gives you a greater immunity because your body has to adapt to the vaccine.


dear lord i was rough last night and this morning. Starting the feel a bit better now.
dog slept next to me all night and slept thru till 7am with me.


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## mort (13 Mar 2021)

Feel better bud. Had a few friends who have been the same, rough as he'll for 24 hours, then it eased dramatically. Hope that's the case for you.


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## Gill (16 Mar 2021)

mort said:


> Feel better bud. Had a few friends who have been the same, rough as he'll for 24 hours, then it eased dramatically. Hope that's the case for you.


cheers took till sunday pm to feel better. 

So I have given up on having a carpet of nice hairgrass etc. As the plecos don't want a carpet of lovely grass. So instead I am going to cover the substrate in Moss and let it grow into a nice thick matt. Going to help it along by using my good old marimo moss. And will cut them in half and superglue them to little pebbles to anchor them. And will then attach bits of moss to the marimo. Found this works well in the past. 

Also giving up on the pipefish, they have just become a ridiculous price this year and then with the covid charges on top of normal shipping. They will work out to over £40 each retail, When they have been £7 each 2 years ago. 

Lighting has been ordered over the weekend and should arrive by the end of the week. Not gone for anything fancy or high tech, but they do have timers which will help me immensely. Have ordered x3 units and these will sit nicely on the sliding hood and lift off easily for maintenance. And this will give me 72w of lighting for plant specific LEDS etc, and the Kessil A80 tuna. 

The funky hydroponics light unit works well as desk lamp and with the x4 goosenecks I can bend and shape them where i want them to illuminate, albeit in shades of red green blue and purple. 

The old Chihros lighting etc will be packed away for use another time.


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## Gill (16 Mar 2021)

Also if anyone is looking for an interesting small plec, Dean has some Tigris plecos and they look lovely and stay about the size of the BN plecos as adults.


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## Gill (26 Mar 2021)

So I have bn fry. Left a few for the big longfin male to care for. And the rest are in a ziss box.
I like these as they can be linked together. And have mesh sides to allow water to flow thru them.







New lights have been fitted, and they do the job nicely. And at only £18 each were a bargain.
They have a built in timer so can set them to come on/off when needed.
Secured the 2 peices of wood with zip ties and hid with moss and plants.
And now all the shrimp like to graze amongst the moss and plants.


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## Gill (26 Mar 2021)

After Looking at them, it looks like there were 2 batches of fry in the pleco cave. As some are slightly bigger with no yolk sacs to feed on. I have given them plenty of IAL to graze on for the bio film etc. At least this time the fish cant suck them out of the fry breeder like last years mistake. 
So fingers crossed that he trapped one of the Super red calico females as well as his female longfin.  My Calico are nice colour now. They have red and deep orange finnage with a base of rusty brown.


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## Gill (1 Apr 2021)

Has anyone kept these floating plants -  RICCIOCARPUS NATANS 
its on sale on BAND at the moment and looks interesting


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## Gill (6 Apr 2021)

Quick shot from last night. 
Bn fry are out of the ziss holding cube. And can be seen in different areas of the tank. 

I am liking the island that has started to grow amongst the h.trip. if any plant becomes detached it ends up entwined amongst it. And its starting to look grown in now.


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## Gill (6 Apr 2021)

Thanks for all the plants @kogrereally has made a difference to the tank.


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## Welearn (6 Apr 2021)

v_ery nice set up Gill,do I detect a couple of Discus in the photo? Like the colour of grey for the cabinet and surround_


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## Gill (6 Apr 2021)

Yeah I got some tiny ones to start with, and will upgrade the tank size accordingly when needed. As otherwise I would stagnate with this size. So wanted some inhabitants that would force me to go bigger.
I am looking at a taller/deeper tank in the future that will sit within the floor space available. Might be a custom job. As want them to have the height needed to really fill out.
And then I could add a black arrow with a much bigger tank.

Alerts on ebay etc are running to alert to bigger tanks


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## Kogre (24 Apr 2021)

Hi @Gill how is this looking?  Wouldn't mind seeing how it's growing in.


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## Gill (27 Apr 2021)

have hit a plant snag, 1st time i have had swords not grow. 
I think i need to buffer the water a bit. As the crypts and vallis are melting, and the swords are peppered with holes. And it is not picture worthy.
Saying that though the plant mass that has gathered in the Hydro trip is doing great/ And is a haven for all the shrimp.
I have added a few adult wood shrimp at the weekend, and took a trip to Bardills and the Japanese Water Gardens off Brian Clough Way. And have seen some very nice fish and shrimp. And they _(Bardills) _were saying they can order in most fish in smaller quantities now. so will be messaging them about a few things. 

I feel a rescape coming soon, with some temperate plant choices.


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## Gill (28 Apr 2021)

Removed the extra internal, as tannins are now starting to subside. And finally saw my Amanos for the 1st time since they were added.


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## Gill (4 May 2021)

Plants have all been ordered, So rescape will be commenced once they all arrive. 
Not sure whether I will Keep the Massive Bogwood in there, or change it out for something else. I will be keeping the plant island, So will pick up a suction cup soap dish to place this into - to keep it in place. And it will be nicely hidden by all the dense matt of plants.


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## Gill (9 May 2021)

Rescape was Started on Friday afternoon once most of the plants arrived. 
Just waiting on a few more bits to finish it all off. And will post once settled down. 
Fish have a whole lot more room now that massive bogwood is gone, and changed the position of the branch to free standing. 
Plecs have spawned again after the rescape and the rams are getting frisky checking out spots in the tank. Will need to add some more flat stones for them to lay on. 
Also still need to get some caves sorted for the Fire Reds, so will order some of them. 
Until the perm holder for the island arrives, I am just using a piece of a polybox suctioned to the back of the tank.


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## Gill (25 May 2021)

Something is off with the tank. 
Plants are just not growing and melting alot. Even the Hygrophilas Stems have been melting, and they normally grow like weeds for me. 
Going to take a few readings and see what they tell me. 
Lighting I think is ok, as the x3 luminaires give 72watts full spectrum and then I have the Fluval aquasky 28w.
Its strange for plants to not grow well for me. Most of the time I just leave them to it until it becomes a jungle and then remember to trim. I have been dosing 15ml each week after water change of TNC complete. Thought i would give this one a try, as had been using the Arka ones as had bought them with staff discount. 
Hair grass tried that again and it melted away. So replaced with lovely Dwarf Sag, and that has almost melted away and only a few are showing new growth. 
Giant Vall, has not melted, but not showing any new growth. 
The only things that are doing well is the duckweed, which covers the entire surface between water changes. 

On another note, The caves I ordered for the fire reds came. And they took about a week to fully sink. I got Savu Pods, and x1 is occupied at the moment by a female, and she has banked up the gravel to block off the entrance etc. 
I rehomed quite a few fish, as saw some rather stunning _Samurai Gourami (Sphaerichthys vaillanti) _@ Bardills. So bought all they had, And I have at least one Dominant Male who colours up nicely. And they spend all day hunting amongst the Island for shrimp. 
BN Male has not trapped any of the females for a while now, though he is always guarding the tunnels. Hopefully he will trap one of the Calico reds, and will get some fry. The fry from the 1st/2nd bath are doing well and can see them in the evenings eating. During the day they spend their time in the right corner of the tank munching on Algae. 
Shrimp do well in the Island, and can see a few Rilli now, which is a nice surprise. 
I took the island out one water change and rinsed it off a little so that I could see what else is growing in there. And I have seen Seed Shrimp, Cyclops etc, but not Gammarus, they will most likely stick to the substrate layer of plants. 

Plans are afoot for a pond in the back garden, as there is a nice hilly rockery in far right corner, So that would lend itself nicely to a nice tranquil pond with waterfall etc. And there are plenty of boulders to use scattered around the back and front garden.


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## Gill (26 May 2021)

Did Some readings this morning before and after a water change.
I use the JBl Proscan for ease of use and tracking etc.
Before:
Nitrate - Orange 40
Nitrite - Green 0
GH - Red - 21
KH - Orange 1.5
PH - Green 6.8

After:
Nitrate - Orange 35
Nitrite - Green 0
GH - Red - 21
KH - Orange 1.8
PH - Green 6.3

Going to do 30% water changes for the next week and if no real change in GH. Will get a barrel of RO and start changing using that.


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## Simmo (26 May 2021)

Gill, I found changing from weekly to daily TNC improved plant growth, it was a George F tip I read somewhere. 
I hear you on the big bogwood, on one hand I like the look and impact, on the other, mine too took up a lot of water space so I cut it back.
Cheers


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## Gill (29 May 2021)

GH has not come down with daily 30% water changes. So before I go down the RO route. I am going to Try Seachems Discus Buffer and see what that does. 
I do not want to have to commit to weekly trip for RO water albeit cheap with discount. 
Had to turn down a breeding group of green dragon plecs, as did not want to add them to the tank, with the water being as it is.


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## Gill (23 Jun 2021)

Have been continuing with the water changes and using seachems discus buffer. 
And the GH has come down to 14°d now. So that is alot better than before. 
Plants are still recovering and still the elodea has been growing aswell as the island plants. 
Anubias and buces are still looking grim. And all the crypts melted away, including the Flamingo so was gutted. They may come back but will see. 
PH has stabilised at 6.8, so happy with that.

Going to wait a few more weeks for all the stabilise before adding more plants etc. As don't want to waste the money. As my wabi kusa balls melted aswell, and did try to save them. So that was alot to waste. Though the monte carlo has not been affected which was weird.


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## Gill (14 Jul 2021)

Things are looking better and plants are doing much better. The Discus buffer is working and now at a stable GH level.
Still crypts grow and then melt, but hopefully this will improve over time. Swords are still a little ropey, but have improved upon the last new leaves.
Discus still spend most their time amongst this.
Going to have to rehome the Pearls, as they are all females and are getting a bit bossy with the Discus. And don't want that.
Took the island out of its holder and weighed it down, so that all the plant mass of stems could start growing etc. And this is now happening, so have some nice bushy stems reaching for the surface.
Have ordered some repens to try out, and see how that fairs.

The Guppies ordered have turned out to be lovely, and some of the females have a lovely elongated dorsal fin which tapers out into a sword. I have added Scarlet Endler Males into the mix, to see how they affect the genetics and colouring of the subsequent offspring.
Pipes are doing well, and hunt all day looking for something to predate upon. Taking frozen brine well, which is good. And one has been pecking at the dry foods, so that is a good sign.


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## Gill (16 Jul 2021)

The Neo Inlet/Outlet set arrived from @Aquarium Gardens 
Will fit it later when I do a water change today. Hopefully it will be easy enough to get it in and under the corner bracing.


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## Gill (16 Jul 2021)

So this was just a bit fiddly, but managed to fit it OK.
Now the bonus was that as its all in sections.
I did not need to turn off the filter.
I just removed the current inlet/outlet and fitted this onto the outlet elbow. This took a bit of finagling to get just right, so that the angle was just right to get the flow right. And I fitted the skimmer to see if there is any benefit in my tank.
Now the brackets were another ordeal. I am all fingers and thumbs. So took a while to get it all set right. And then had to use needle nose pliers to tighten the nuts as too fiddly to do with fingers, due to the limited space in the bracing.

The inlet strainer just push fitted onto the existing inlet pipe so that was really easy.


Now I am not sure what the logic was  behind the double sided outlet to begin with, As why would I want the flow to be directed backwards down to the inlets path. After some fiddling discovered that you only need one on the back part and then leave the front open. And thus the back strainer acts as another suction to increase flow dramatically once you get the right angle.

This is a very good set and solidly made. Once you work out how it works properly. And the fact it fits onto a standard 13mm set of pipework was a really nice surprise. And made the change over easier.
@Aquarium Gardens Thank you for the speedy delivery, hopefully more companies will start making sectional lilly pipe sets.


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## Gill (16 Jul 2021)

I also took the opportunity to plant the Repens in the foreground. Left it floating to acclimate etc, as recommended by Korey at AQCoop. It supposedly helps to minimise melting etc with newly arrived plant cuttings. And it seems to have worked, all the stems have nice new growth and roots. And only had the trim the bottom stem from one stem.

Also put some Balloon Mollies outdoors this evening, they are just in a B+Q builders bucket full of rain water and teaming with mozzie larvae etc. And plant trimmings from the tank. Bucket is in a shady spot behind the bins. will leave them alone and check on them in a few weeks.


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## Gill (31 Jul 2021)

This was Torn down this morning. I was at my witts end with the plants etc.
So after £100 in plants at Bardills - Rescaped it all with Fake plants. Did keep all the Java Ferns and Giant Vallis, as those are growing well after an initial melt. Everything Else was thrown in with the Mollies outside.
I am actually Almost happy with how it looks. as Covered the substrate in those fake grass matts. And then lots of tall plants to hide the uplifts etc.
Need to go back and get a few more accent plants and then that will be it. Can just enjoy the fish without the constant tinkering to get plants to grow.


Also Seperated out the best looking guppy pair to try and keep those colors/finnage going. As this female has a very long trailing dorsal fin and slight sword in her tail. And the male with the biggest dorsal and swords etc. 

Also already looking at larger tank, preferably a Corner tank due to the space. So have a few alerts setup for Juwel and Fluval corner tanks on Ebay, Gumtree, Classifieds etc. And hopefully with a stand for space for a fry tank in the middle shelf.


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## PARAGUAY (2 Aug 2021)

Shame about the plants Happens with no obvious reason sometimes Send picture of set up now when its settled in


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## Gill (7 Aug 2021)

This is how It looks for now, still a few gaps I want to fill.
I am happy with it, and sometime in the future I may decide to have a larger planted tank. As will need to upgrade for the discus etc.

Need to attach the thermometer again, as it's been dislodged while I have been away at the HP studio tours the last few days


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## bazz (8 Aug 2021)

Plastiscaping?


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