# New studio tank



## Monk d'Wally de Honk (8 Apr 2013)

Thought I'd start a journal for this, the new studio tank. Originally I was going to refit my old 24" tank that housed a breeding pair of Apistogramma Cacatuoides and a few Otos. It was planted and had a large piece of bogwood they used as a cave and did alright as long as you didn't mind the constant fight against algae that I stayed on top of in the main. I broke it down and placed the inhabitants into a cube I had with rocks and some rummynoses and they were happy there for what was going to be a couple of weeks.

I came into the studio one Monday morning to discover a power cut in the night had plummeted tank temperatures and had killed all the fish. A real kick in the teeth.

Since then a few things have happened. Digging around the loft space here I found an old 100ltr Clearseal aquarium 36" long that had only been used once on a photoshoot (I am based in a photo studio) The photographer was no longer in need of it as he had recently purchased the biggest ADA he could get (he filled it with wine for a shoot - don't ask).

So now I have a new, bigger, all glass tank that looks very nice and clean. I've made a shopping list of things I needed to make it work. I've had to build a frame out of timber to go under the desk to support the tank weight. The T5 light unit needed a couple of bars to hang on that I had made from Perspex. And a new Eheim classic external filter. A few of the more expensive Items I have bought from ebay, often from sellers in the far east which means incredibly long shipping times. I bought a refurbished fire extinguisher and found someone that will refill it for £10 in Wimbledon. Still waiting to arrive are the solonoid/regulator, bubble counter, drop checker, diffuser and lily pipes, and also some frosted glass backing from TGM.

From Aquaessentials I've bought Tropica plant growth substrate and Fiji sand. Clear co2 and filter tubing, and 3 decent sized Landscape rocks to go with my existing rock. Richard is very helpful explaining sizes/weights and chose lovely pieces for me.

I have chiselled a few of my chunky bits of bogwood to try and get a more branching/rooty sort of look and still need to work on this but for now, my dry rough layout is starting to take shape. Just need the deliveries all to arrive so I can add water - fill with plants - mature - add fish/shrimp.

Anyway, here's the layout as it is, probably will add a bit more sand at the back and try and reduce the level at the front a bit to even it off. Let me know any thoughts, feel free to criticise or offer advice.

cheers. xx


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## mi casa (8 Apr 2013)

Looking good nice tank dude. the only one thing that stands out as looking a bit odd  is the pointy stone in the middle i'd move it over to the right and leave a gap . what plants are you thinking?


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (8 Apr 2013)

Now you've pointed that out I can't stop looking at it, sticks out like a sore thumb.

I was hoping for a bit of guidance planting wise, I was hoping to carpet with something like HC or glossostigma at the front, some grass around the rocks and bushy stem pants behind. I have a few ferns/moss for the wood left over. As far as stem plants go I've not really looked, and for the carpeting plants if anyone has ideas as to what will work best with the substrate then let me know!


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (9 Apr 2013)

Right, played around with hardscape, moved everything forward a bit to allow for planting behind rocks. Frustrating waiting for parts to arrive but at least it gives you time to live with the initial layout I suppose. Still need another bag of sand or two to add depth towards the back, If anyone has any plant ideas do chip in...


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## fish fodder (9 Apr 2013)

Pogostemen helferi would look good around the rocks/wood


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## Gary Nelson (9 Apr 2013)

That looks allot better than the first pic - I would be tempted to angle the largest rock on the right more... don't be afraid to angle them about (leaning forwards or backwards) this can make the layout look more natural and often shows off more contours the piece of rock has to offer


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (9 Apr 2013)

I like the look of Pogostemen helferi, I'll add it to my little list and see if it makes the final cut. I'll also have a go with the angle on that right hand rock (actually two that fit together really well)..

As I submitted that last post the doorbell rang, two bits of glasswear from the far east. Drop checker and intake/outtake lily pipe, Got a bit excited and within two minutes had cracked the lily pipe trying to get the hose on and cut my finger too.  I've just tried to silicone it together but I think I may just buy one from the UK and be, erm, a little more gentle and not like an excited little kid...

I really must do some work.


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## Ady34 (9 Apr 2013)

Hi Md'WdH,
the new hardscape layout is a vast improvement, i really like it 
Shame about the glassware, its so easy to do and most of us have managed to at one time or another so your in the club .....you quickly learn from it though 
Cheerio,
Ady.


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## aliclarke86 (9 Apr 2013)

Cracked 2 lily pipes but found putting the hose in some hot water for a few seconds makes it nice and soft and it slips right on 

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (9 Apr 2013)

I'll think of it as a rite of passage


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## Steve Smith (9 Apr 2013)

That, and gashing your finger on a broken glass bubble counter!


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## mi casa (9 Apr 2013)

Ha ha done that to on my glass co2 diff it was in slow mo i cud see my self doing it but cud'nt stop


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## Deano3 (9 Apr 2013)

new scape looks much better , I broke my co2 bubble counter from china when first arrived lol wasn't impressed, like you say I leant my lesson and purchased from uk from now on and much quicker arrival times lol I used gush lilly pipes looks great, will be watching this post keep up the good work

Dean


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (15 Apr 2013)

A brief update:

I removed all the rock and wood in order to scrub any signs of algae from them. I also removed some sand and used some washed slate to (cheaply) build the height up at the rear of the tank a bit and then replaced the sand giving a much nicer depth. I used my photo of the old layout to try and replicate it but for the life of me couldn't work out what bits went where .

It actually helped though as I think I've made an improved layout where it is not so symmetrical. I also filled it with water to test that it all holds and that the filter is water tight. It is, but it is now cloudy and is not worth photographing so I'll add one tomorrow when it all clears. I'm going to run it overnight, so all the dust is filtered out, then drain it, clean the filters and wait to plant it all up.

I have everything ready to run except for the regulator/solenoid which never arrived from Hong Kong, managed to get a full refund and have just ordered one from co2 supermarket which should arrive friday. Hopefully that means next week I can buy my plants.

I also received some light diffusing backing from TGM which makes a great improvement on the looks, may have to light it from behind at a later date.


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (25 Apr 2013)

Hello All,

An update...

I received all my plants yesterday from Aqua Essentials and lovely they were too.

For the foreground I have HC to try and create a carpet and Eleocharis intended to place around the rocks in the foreground, with the idea of keeping it trimmed fairly short at the front and letting it grow longer the further back it grows. A Hydrocotyle Tripartita the for the moment is place in the midground as one large clump and then for the back and sides some Limnophila Aromatica, Pogostemon Eustralis and Hygrophila Pinnatifida which will hopefully grow into decent sized 'bushes'. I also had some Java Moss and some ferns from my old tank that had been sitting in cold water with no light (and remarkably still look fairly healthy given the neglect).

Here's some pictures from the setting up...





The HC, Hydrocotyle and Eleocharis planted into damp substrate...





Filling (Very slowly) with water...




The finished article, still a bit cloudy and not an entirely smooth operation...




Planting it all up damp was going very smoothly, I was using a set of precision tweezers and was feeling the cool zen vibes drifting from all the Amano videos I've watched. I stuck a Steely Dan cd on, separated all the plants into tiny clumps, laid them all on a tray and placed them very carefully into the mud. I then thought it best to fill with water to plant the stem plants, as this is what I've seen the pros do. I clamped a hose in place and trickled it over a rock until it was half full, and planted the stems. This is where my problems started...little bits of HC and Eleocharis floating about with even the tiniest waft from my tweezered fingers. As I battled to catch them and replant, it would disturb the nearby plants so that each one planted would disturb two more. In the end I carried on with the stems and left the HC to float and did my best not to disturb anything.

It was getting late and I needed to leave so I left the bundled Java Moss in the now murky water and filled to the top, put the filter and heater on, set the timers up for the lights and Co2 and skedaddled.

When I arrived this morning the murk had cleared and it looked pretty good. Except for a leak coming from the glass lily pipe I broke previously. (Thought I'd just do a new clean break and run with it but it obviously didn't work) back to an eheim outlet. I've also added two little powerheads (both from old internal filters but with mesh over the inlets.

It doesn't look bad, I need to let things grow a bit so I can start trimming it into shape. I also would like to buy either an inline heater so I can't see it or a thermo filter. Also the nice looking diffusing film on the back of the tank which looked perfect when it was empty now looks like it has loads of tiny air bubbles under it so will need to be re-stuck. When I have the energy.

One good thing to come of this is that I've turned into Mr Miyagi as I can catch floating HC whizzing through the water with a pair of tweezers.

Next up, flies with chopsticks.


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## Lindy (25 Apr 2013)

Looks nice and natural, lovely rocks. I would probably have gone for mini hairgrass growing in and around the rocks with the larger stuff at the back(if at all). I would take out whatever you have planted at the back of the 'path' between the rocks and plant it to the one side of the path. All in, i like it alot


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (29 Apr 2013)

Moved the stems from behind the path, they now are placed behind the right hand rock, already growing and appearing over the top of it. Everything else seems to be settling in nicely. Today though I noticed that some of the plants are pearling, which is nice and something I've never witnessed before...


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (7 May 2013)

About a week and a half later and after a four day break from the studio with no liquid carbon or ferts going in I came in this morning and to my surprise it all looked OKish.

HC is spreading and I've trimmed and replanted the stem plants. The Hygrophila is the only plant that hasn't really done much. The pearling has stopped for some reason. Same dosage of liquid carbon and ferts, same lights same CO2. Today I moved the diffuser right next to a circulation pump so that not so much escapes from the surface.

Shopping list includes an inline heater and a Koralia circulation pump. At the moment I have the powerheads from two internal filters with netting over the inlets, not a pretty sight but needs must.

Hopefully with a decent pump the first fish will be bought this week. Eventually I would like around 10 Ottos, 20 Silvertip tetras and a couple of Apistogramma. If I'm lucky I may be able to source a family of black darter tetras too.

Here's how it looks at the moment....


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (20 May 2013)

Well, some things have grown, some haven't. Some of the stem plants seem to be a bit 'mushy' at the bottom, not sure if this is the transition to immersed growing or bad management by me. I also have some shrimps from The Aquatic Design Centre, 8 Amanos and 3 red shrimp one of which has eggs. I've also decided to remove all the wood. It was taking up too much 'floor space' and not leaving me enough room to plant. It now looks more like an iwagami layout, which isn't usually my bag, but it is an improvement. It was a rushed friday afternoon that saw the change so this week I'll tidy it up and photograph it.

On another note, I dug up 3 hebe bushes from the garden and the root/stem system is amazing looking, I washed the mud off with a hose to get a proper look, anyone know if they are fish safe? If they are I'll soak them for a while and see what happens to them.


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (30 May 2013)

Latest update....

Changed the backing to black paper. An instant improvement to this tank. Bought an inline CO2 reactor that made an improvement to the plants within a day - amazing transformation. I think the ceramic in the glass diffuser was clogging quickly and the bubbles were just too big and hard to distribute before popping at the surface. The HC is still doing my head in though, it gets uprooted so easily I end up throwing more away than keeping. There has been a couple of new plants from Living Waters in Croydon. Anubias Nana bonsai which I split into three even 1 pot was just too big, plus the grassy like carpeting plant on the left that I've already forgottens name (Think it is Utricularia). I may end up pulling the HC and replacing with the Utricularia.

Also, first fish went in today. 8 Ottos from Tyne Valley. I'm hoping they'll eat the thin but healthy carpet of algae covering the large rocks. Sorry for the poor iphone pic, a colleague will hopefully photograph it properly in the next couple of days.


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (18 Jun 2013)

Well, they did eat the algae, it was almost entirely gone within one night. Today some shoaling fish should be arriving, 10 Pseudomugil Gertrudae, they look lovely in pictures and I've never kept rainbows before.

After a trim today...


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## vauxhallmark (18 Jun 2013)

It's looking fantastic! Congratulations!


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## Greenview (18 Jun 2013)

That is looking really good. Pseudomugil gertrudae will look lovely in there.


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (8 Nov 2013)

A long overdue update....in transition.

Put some wood back in and moved the rocks around enabling me to make a terrace behind wood of deeper Flora base. Plants need to be looked at and moved around slightly but for the moment are in and growing quickly. I have a floating matt of ever expanding Riccia that next week, if time permits, I will tie to mesh and make a lawn (I never got on with the HC). Fauna wise, a shoal of 20 Silvertip Tetras went in a couple of months ago alongside the Gertrudae, they were so small they were almost invisible in the big tank, great for Nanos though. Also about 15-20 shrimps joined the five Amano shrimps that were in there. Hopefully, one day, I'll get the planting into some kind of order so that it is more 'zoned'.


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## steveno (8 Nov 2013)

Like to rescape, it draws you in... Looking good...


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## kirk (10 Nov 2013)

I like the clearing its looking good mate.


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (3 Dec 2013)

So, thought I'd try a riccia carpet, did one triangle which took a week or so to matt together nicely and has been trimmed once, just started the other side with the intention of keeping a winding path through it, and eventually the full width. Really want my stems to be nice and bushy, especially in the rear corners but struggling here a bit.


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## kirk (3 Dec 2013)

Looking good,  I tried and failed many times with riccia, I still have a tuft of it hanging on in there. You have a lot of patience that's for Sure.


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (3 Dec 2013)

Cheers Kirk, I'm not sure about that, I think it's like gardens, some plants work well, some don't. It's about learning which ones suit the tank and its parameters. Just wish I didn't have to go through so many that don't before I find some that do. 

I must borrow someone's decent camera here in the studio because my iPhone doesn't do it justice.


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## kirk (3 Dec 2013)

My tanks a mess again,its chasing shrimp around  I can picture yours having a nice picnic on that riccia lawn.


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (3 Dec 2013)

Yes, they are loving it, can't see any in that pic as they are usually 'lost' around the back in the tangle of stems.


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (16 Dec 2013)

two weeks and the left side of the 'lawn' has knitted together, more wire mesh squares arrived so I've made some new lawn and planted the rest of the substrate. Hopefully, in another two weeks I'll have a very green looking, lush lawn the entire width of the tank.

Did a water change the other day, I always go a degree or so colder and feed well after a change with nice quality food and occasionally see spawning. It used to work lovely for my Apistos. On Thursday the silvertips were going mental, chasing each other through the plants and shimmying against each other, plump and full of colour.

On Friday I came into the studio to find seven of them floating around. Not sure if it was a CO2 poisoning thing (I immediately switched it off and did another 50% change) or whether the spawning had exhausted them. The rest were fine and nothing affected the shrimp, snails or Ottos. Down to a shoal of nine now, not sure if I'll see a few babies in the future or not though.

Still want nice bushy tall plants for the bg though. I had just trimmed the left BG down before pic was taken to try and get the plants to bush out a bit. It's the one thing I'm not happy with.


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (16 Dec 2013)

Oh and there's a filter bag hanging on the right hand side full of Pelia I have no use for. Will let it grow over christmas and someone can have it in the new year.


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## nybraby (17 Dec 2013)

Nice tank, i like the re-design, looks much better.


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (7 Jan 2014)

Well, the lawn is going far easier than I expected, have to trim it at least twice a week or it becomes too buoyant. As I was away from the studio for two weeks over christmas I wasn't sure what to expect. This whole tank came about because of a powercut to the old apisto tank last christmas, so didn't know if the same would happen, or because of no ferts it would all melt, turn into a green sludge pond, be covered in BBA, etc etc.

In actual fact I came in to a crystal clear tank with (fairly) healthy looking fish and plants. The lawn was the only problem, it had grown so much that it was either floating, lifting, or the nearest to the mesh was light starved and going brown. Half hour trimming and re-tying a few squares put it right.

I have tons of riccia now so will put some in the for sale section along with the pelia if anyone is interested.

Also decided to buy myself a EI starter kit over christmas which arrived yesterday. I'm sure the reason my stems never look so lush is a lack of ferts so hopefully this will do the trick. If I can get my supposedly fairly easy to grow stems looking good, I will try ones I prefer the look of.


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## martinmjr62 (7 Jan 2014)

Hi mate, firstly can i just say that the tank looks really lush and healthy 
The riccia carpet looks nice , something i'm trying to do in mine,which leads me on to my other point , could i have first dibs on the pelia and riccia that you are going to sell, PM me to sort  out 

Cheers
Martin


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (8 Jan 2014)

Will do, just need to find some bags and envelopes.


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## TOO (8 Jan 2014)

Looks very nice. Sorry about my ignorance, but what is the dominant rosette plant that you have?

Thomas


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (8 Jan 2014)

Thats Blyxa Japonica. Grows like mad for me.


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## TOO (8 Jan 2014)

I thought about Blyxa, but decided it was too big for that. What is your hardness? It is a plant I'd like to try, but have heard that it prefers soft water.

Thomas


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (8 Jan 2014)

I don't test anything! London tap water with the chlorine removed so just a tad softer than concrete. Last time I checked PH more than a year ago It came out at 7.8 on a test strip but no idea how reliable that was.

I used to test all sorts of things but no longer bother. I used to try and soften the water and lower it's PH with a buffer for my apisto's, but slowly weened them from it and they still bred. I pump CO2 in to this so it probably drops in PH through the day (I have no idea how much by) Silver tips do fine in it (they are tank bred from eastern europe). I've even given up using a drop checker for the CO2, just never touch the dial and check the bubble count every day I'm in. The plants soon tell you if there's not enough, and the fish even sooner if there's too much.


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (17 Jan 2014)

Quick update, 

Doesn't look much different in the photo but a week of dosing EI and the stem plants look tons better. I've cut them back yesterday to try and encourage them to bush out a bit so a lot aren't visible but the stems in the centre you can see have improved.

I'm thinking of a change of fauna too, may try some wild looking endlers guppies, should be fine with shrimp, anyone used them in an aquascape to any effect?


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## faizal (18 Jan 2014)

Hi Monk,.... The tanks is absolutely lovely mate. The new scape looks so much better with the riccia carpet. The tank's having that matured feel now. Looking forward to more pictures.


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (20 Jan 2014)

Thank you, hopefully I have some CRS arriving this week and one lunchtime plan a drive up to Enfield to peruse the tanks and dream, I may invest in a few more ottos and some endlers.

I have a colleague coming back in this week after a month away who is a dab hand with a camera. Hopefully we'll get some proper shots.

The EI dosing has made such a difference I may try some nicer looking stem plants too.


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (4 Feb 2014)

Nothing much has changed in the tank, except for much more growth on the stem plants which is down to the amount of nutrients I can afford to throw in using the EI starter kit.

Only thing bugging me now is the riccia. It grows so vigorously that if I'm not trimming every few days it starts to float skywards. Once this happens, the lower portions become weakened where they attach to the mesh and the only thing to do is re-tie it all. It's a pain in the bum.

So, I've been on the aquaessentials website and ordered some mini hair grass and HC and will try a carpet of that instead. I plan to have hairgrass at the back of the 'clearing' and the rest as HC, no path. HC never did well for me before but I think that was a mixture of bad substrate and not enough dosing.

I've also ordered some nice stems to plant at the rear, and would like to trim and replant a lot of the Blyxa too as it is starting to take over.


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (4 Feb 2014)

Oh, and tentative talks with the good lady wife have started to soften her to the idea of a home tank. She was keen on all kinds of bow fronted, triangular style tanks, which I'm not, but have persuaded her to think about a nice optiwhite. I just need to find the right cabinet. Needs to be able to support the weight of a 3ft tank and look like her nice shabby chiq style living room. (don't ask).

I've used some of Viktor's and Alastair's pics to persuade her what could be achieved (well, if they were to do them). But the one that swung it was Ady's island layout, NAtural Jurassic.


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## aliclarke86 (4 Feb 2014)

Great news until you ignored her for maintenance. That's why I'm only aloud 3 tanks at any one time  poor me  I have 5 unused in the garage and sometimes I think about trying to sneak them into the spare room hehe

Sent from my GT-I9505G using Tapatalk


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (24 Feb 2014)

Well, the HC started to do my head in. I tried a pot of it, but was not around much to keep an eye on it and it kept floating away. Every few days I'd come in to find it all floating again. Half hour of replanting then the same next day. Scooped it all out and chucked it. I have some Staurogyne repens on order and see if I do better with it. Mini hair grass is doing fine in the same spot.

I think it is probably the flow not being strong enough. I'd love a stronger filter to help with this. (And new lights, new tank etc etc etc)

Also added some Ludwigia glandulosa, Ludwigia palustris green, and Alternanthera rosaefolia which all seem to be doing really well.

Here's a phone snap from today....


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## Edvet (24 Feb 2014)

Looks healthy enough!


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (27 Feb 2014)

New critters:

A piar of Apistogramma cacatuoides and some Endler's guppies.

also planted some Staurogyne and it seems to stay anchored, hopefully will grow away happily and make a carpet requiring less maintenance.

Also been playing with a white background but it makes everything look a bit insipid. Probably go back to black.

Warning: tank needs a trim.


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## James D (27 Feb 2014)

Those Apistogramma cacatuoides look beautiful, I wish my tank was big enough for them. As you mentioned it, I think your layout really suits the black background, I think it's the contrasting horizontal bars of black and green.

Anyway, very nice mate, I'm jealous.


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## Monk d'Wally de Honk (27 Feb 2014)

I used to keep a breeding pair in an 18inch tank, they were very happy. I think in the wild they live very close by their spawning site (a small cave type thing) so they are quite well suited to small tanks, they are my favourite fish. These two are quite small at the moment, I'm hoping that being that small means that they will grow up with the shrimps and not get a taste for them. I'm sure if the guppies/shrimps breed they'll snap up the littleuns but I think the tetras have been doing that anyway. If they start on the adults I'll have to try and trap them and put them in a small tank of their own. Hopefully there is enough space and hiding places for it not to happen.


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## Janf (27 Feb 2014)

Nice tank you have mate 
Keep posting!

Cheers


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