# Grownup Swedish Suprise



## NatalieHurrell (21 Jan 2022)

I have finally put my tank on order.  It's an Aqua Marin Planta 900 rimless with a Mekong colour cabinet (90 x 50 x 48cms high - 216 litres).

It should be here in four weeks, giving us time to finish decorating the lounge and get the carpet down.

In an attempt to look after the environment I have decided to go for a coldwater/temperate jungle style, low tech tank, with some emersed and riparium planting.

Watch this space.


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## ScapingScotsman (22 Jan 2022)

Oooh sounds lovely. Watching with interest


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## NatalieHurrell (15 Feb 2022)

Well, just got a text message from Seabray to say my Aqua Marin tank has been despatched.  They were supposed to call and arrange a day and time as they just drop it at the curbside.  Not sure my 4' 11", 8 1/2 stone frame can lift it by myself... just hope my other half can get a few hours off on Friday at short notice!

At least I managed to put my plant ladder together today.  It's going to sit on the same wall as the tank.


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## pat1cp (15 Feb 2022)

Blimey, you are small. Best of luck


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## NatalieHurrell (21 Feb 2022)

I called Maidenhead Aquatics about my delivery and was told not to worry.  The delivery depot will call and arrange a date and time.  Tracker said it was due with the depot today.  Well, all I can say is it's a good job I have such a wonderful neighbour because... surprise!


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## NatalieHurrell (24 Feb 2022)




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## Leroy4bz (3 Mar 2022)

Have you got a link for the tank? It’s just what I’m looking for..I’m just down the road from you in Andover😀


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## NatalieHurrell (3 Mar 2022)

Hiya, it's:









						Aqua Marin Planta 900 Aquarium & Cabinet
					

Delivery of this aquarium to your chosen UK mainland address usually takes 4 weeks, during this time you will receive a phone call to arrange a suitable delivery window. Weekend delivery is not available. The courier will drop the pallet on the curb closest to your home, it is advised to have...




					www.fishkeeper.co.uk
				






If you take a trip to Maidenhead Aquatics in Ascot they have a display one.


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## AlecF (3 Mar 2022)

Looks perfect just like that, a Zen tank.


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## Leroy4bz (5 Mar 2022)

NatalieHurrell said:


> Hiya, it's:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## robinj (5 Mar 2022)

I'd consider having some space between the wall and the tank. I have 90P and 15 or maybe even 20 cm in between. It's really useful for maintenance.


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## Garuf (5 Mar 2022)

robinj said:


> I'd consider having some space between the wall and the tank. I have 90P and 15 or maybe even 20 cm in between. It's really useful for maintenance.


This! I have 5cm between the wall and my back pane on the 55l and it’s a nightmare to get in to clean or when a nerite throws itself down there.


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## NatalieHurrell (7 Mar 2022)

I have about 10cm between the tank and the wall, plus it has an open back on the left and the right, with a central brace.  Handy if I lose any tools down the back!

They seem to have put quite a bit of thought into the design.  I really like the fact that they have built a high shelf compartment to isolate the included 5 gang extension lead from any potential spills.  There is a cable port for the wires to go through on either the left or the right and a plastic cover to clip over the holes and keep the cables tidy, once I have decided what is going where. Each of the plug sockets has an individual on/off switch too.  Soft close doors also a bonus.


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## Maf 2500 (7 Mar 2022)

Gotta love soft close doors under your aquarium. I like to think they were specifically invented for not scaring the fish.


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## PARAGUAY (8 Mar 2022)

Like the plant ladder good way to display houseplants. Is it from The Range ? was looking at them recently.


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## NatalieHurrell (8 Mar 2022)

PARAGUAY said:


> Like the plant ladder good way to display houseplants. Is it from The Range ? was looking at them recently.


Thank you.  It was from Amazon.  Surprisingly sturdy (it's going to need to be by the time I've filled it LOL).


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## NatalieHurrell (9 Mar 2022)

Over the last six months I have been gathering any decent weathered oak or beech I have found.  It's been soaking in a large tub in the garden, covered in a tarp, along with my large piece of corbo wood.  Today I had a little play with a potential layout.  Now granted, this will need tweaking once the substrate is in and gluing etc.  For the sake of composition it will be supported on the third by the corbo wood, but didn't bring it indoors as it's holding rather a lot of water.   Will do a decent amount of planting on the left to hide the ends of the wood.  Not precisely how it will be, but you get the idea.  Any suggestions welcomed.

Thankfully the plant ladder comes in half, should I ever need to extricate it from the corner!


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## NatalieHurrell (11 Mar 2022)

Got all my substrate and gear together now.  Also got my list of plants and will be placing my order with Aquarium Gardens, for delivery next week.

As I'm aiming for a Walstad/dirtied ecosystem style tank I have opted for an Aquael 500 Turbo (with a spray bar if I can find a suitable one) and an Aquael Pat Mini for extra flow.  In theory this gives approx. 5 times turnover of the actual useable water volume (about 175 litres due to slightly dropped waterline and substrate). Failing that I'll get a canister filter.

FISH

Peppered corydoras (6 or so)
Macropodus Opercularis Paradise fish - 1 male, 3 female
Schooling fish of some sort.  LOVE Moustached Danios, but a bit big for a 90cm tank and think they will become airborne, even with a 10cm dropped waterline!

Plants planned as follows:

FOREGROUND/MID GROUND
Cryptocoryne lutea Hobbit x 3
Helanthium tenellum Green (Tropica 1,2 Grow pot) x 2
Hydrocotyle tripartita Japan x 1
Juncus repens x 3

BACKGROUND
Hygrophila polysperma x 2
Hygrophila siamensis 53B x 1
Vallisneria spiralis x 1

ON WOOD/EPIPHYTES
Anubias Golden Nana x 1
Hygrophila pinnatifida (Tropica 1,2  Grow pot) x 1
Bucephalandra Red x 1
Hydrocotyle leucocephala x 1 (hoping to plant in substrate and train up branches)

FLOATING
Phyllanthus fluitans (failing that Limnobium laevigatum)

RIPARIUM
Epipremnum aureum (Pothos)
Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily - already growing hydroponically and flowering like mad)
Chamaedorea elegans (Parlour Palm)

Might try an orchid above the waterline or a Bromeliad.  All depends on space!

Question is, do I have enough or too many plants for a footprint of 90 x 50cms?  Answers on a postcard please...


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## Tyko_N (12 Mar 2022)

I can't say for the aquatic plants, but I would consider switching the potho for some _Ficus pumila _or similar. The ficus is easy to keep in shape with a bit of pruning, while a potho in such good conditions will grow huge and unwieldy.


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## NatalieHurrell (12 Mar 2022)

@Tyko_N  Thanks for the heads up.  I'll look at that.  I already have a cutting of Pothos stuck in the back if my quarantine tank.  So far it's growing at a snails pace, but I think that's mainly due to light fish load and very lean dosing.  Maybe I'll leave the Pothos on the plant ladder instead!


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## MirandaB (12 Mar 2022)

Personally I'd go for a canister filter on a tank that size.
I use the circulator 500 which is the same pump on a 40lt tank with just a sponge filter on,with the added biomedia chamber it does reduce the flow quite a bit on the turbo.
If you decide to go with the internal Aquael do a spray bar which fits that and the pat mini filter.


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## Tyko_N (12 Mar 2022)

NatalieHurrell said:


> Maybe I'll leave the Pothos on the plant ladder instead!


That would be my choice, and I think it looks good there. That way if it gets to large you can easily replace it with some fresh cuttings too, something that can be quite tricky in a tank with their sometimes extensive root system. It should also be a bit shadier so it probably won't put out the huge leaves they are capable of growing (my biggest leaf below, but have seen at least twice that size when grown outdoors in tropical climates).


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## NatalieHurrell (12 Mar 2022)

@Tyko_N . Wow!  That's a monster.  OK, definitely not going to use that then, or at the very least pull it from the tank before it gots too big!


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## NatalieHurrell (12 Mar 2022)

Went out into the garden this afternoon, to jetwash the whatsits out of the wood I've collected and ended up cleaning the whole patio.  Other half may now be seeing the benefit of keeping fish


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## NatalieHurrell (17 Mar 2022)

Yay.  Plants have arrived.  Aquarium Gardens give amazing service!  I also have more Siamensis 53B and some Anubias Pangolino.  Happy days.


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## The Miniaturist (17 Mar 2022)

Aah, planting out time.
Crippling backache, wrinkly skin & that one blinkin' bit of wood that won't stay put! 😂
Looking forward to seeing it grow in and evolve....


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## Andy Pierce (17 Mar 2022)

NatalieHurrell said:


> Yay.  Plants have arrived.  Aquarium Gardens give amazing service!  I also have more Siamensis 53B and some Anubias Pangolino.  Happy days.


How did you manage to source some Pangolino?  I've been looking out for that for ages but no one ever seems to have any in stock.


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## kammaroon (17 Mar 2022)

Andy Pierce said:


> How did you manage to source some Pangolino?


You have to pounce if you see any shop post on social media that they have delivery of Dennerle plants.
Horizon Aquatics have some in stock Dennerle Anubias nana Pangolino


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## NatalieHurrell (17 Mar 2022)

Andy Pierce said:


> How did you manage to source some Pangolino?


From Aquarium Gardens.  Seems I may have pinched the last pot from current stock though.  Apologies .


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## Andy Pierce (17 Mar 2022)

kammaroon said:


> You have to pounce if you see any shop post on social media that they have delivery of Dennerle plants.
> Horizon Aquatics have some in stock Dennerle Anubias nana Pangolino


Righteous!  Snagged some!  Always great to support a UKAPS sponsor as well.


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## NatalieHurrell (19 Mar 2022)

So, five and a half hours after starting I have finished round one with the tank.  Feeling a bit achy and now looking at the carnage in the lounge, trying to get up enough energy to start the clearup.

Will do a proper setup post soon. In the meantime, all I can say is that there was an episode of hardscape rage at one point.  Despite soaking my wood, tying it together and gluing it to rocks and to itself the branches still floated, ruining my painstaking work of filling every crevice with hardscape to prevent debris collecting and resulting in the use of a rather unattractively placed piece of slate as an emergency anchor!

Still murky (despite rinsing everything thoroughly), so the bank of Hygrophila at the back aren't that apparent.  Put the slow growers in what will be shadier areas, but already worrying they will be too much in the light.  I hope the Frogbit multiplies rapidly.  I have at least managed to get gentle swaying of all the plants and set up the Aquasky at 40% for 6 hours until things settle.  I'll add the riparium plants tomorrow.  Off for a celebratory cup of tea now.


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## Hufsa (20 Mar 2022)

Looks promising 😃
I think we can all relate to the achy carnage post-planting


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## ian_m (21 Mar 2022)

NatalieHurrell said:


> Still murky (despite rinsing everything thoroughly),


Try adding some Seachem Clarity to clear the water. After major plant and cleaning escapades, where the water goes cloudy I dose Clarity and by next day water is crystal clear.

I bought my bottle in late 2016 and is still going, which means it goes a long way or I don't major clean that often !!!


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## NatalieHurrell (21 Mar 2022)

Clarity looked pretty good by the next morning.  However the placement of the wood proved impractical, so have removed it.   Will post pics once it's sorted!


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## jasonjleach (21 Mar 2022)

really nice, watching with interest. !


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## NatalieHurrell (28 Mar 2022)

Hello folks.  It's been a busy few days and I now finally have a chance to catch up on my journal.
Here goes... sorry it's quite long!

I raised the height at the back slightly with a row of mesh bags of pea gravel.  Then I added a layer of aquatic pond soil, mixed with coarse sand and a small amount of pea gravel, also contained in mesh bags.  I wanted to prevent the cap and soil mixing when I inevitably have to move any wayward/badly placed/shade loving/monster triffid plants and reduce the risk of releasing soil into the water column.  I know from previous experience I'll have a small panic attack everytime I move anything otherwise!












The capping layer is approx. 5 cms of coarse Unipac sand (a mix of Fuji and Samoa). I did add some of the darker sand to the rear of the tank, hoping to add a sense of shadow and depth, but hadn't banked on how much the frosted background would reflect the light and may as well not have bothered...



Despite soaking my oak branches for two months, glueing them and tying them to themselves and gluing to the rocks they still floated.  Annoying, but not the end of the world.  In my dry test run the branches had sat quite firmly in place, but I found that besides the annoying floating they also rolled forwards. Instead I have temporarily used some slate I had to give a little interest to the left side of the tank, whilst I think on what direction I want to go in next. The random sprig of pintatifida sticking out of it is covering up a hole where I'd screwed it to something as a weight previously!!  The main hardscape is a lovely piece of Corbo wood.



Planting - it doesn't look that full in the photo, but I have the following plants in the tank (thank you Aquarium Gardens):

2 x Hygrophila polysperma
2 x Hygrophila Siamensis 53b
2 x Juncus repens
2 x Anubias nana
1 x pot of Pinatifida in vitro
1 x pot of Anubias picolino in vitro
1 x pot of Bucephalandra red
3 x Lutea Hobbit
1 x Hydrocotyle leucocephala
2 x Hydrocotye tripartita
1 x Limnobium laevigatum in vitro
1 x Helanthium tenellum Green in vitro
A few random Hygrophila from another tank

I have to say at this point that I absolutely HATE planting teeny, tiny tenellum Green.  It's a fiddly, spikey little devil and it takes an age to plant an entire pot and it then rewards you by floating at will.



On day two I moved the Anubias to more shady areas and pushed the leucocephala into a hole at the top of the Corbo wood, so it would float on the surface and give extra shade.









I've prepared a couple of riparium plants.  Just need to fashion some hangers with the plastic coated horticultural wire, which arrived in the post today.

Lighting - Fluval Aquasky 2.0 21w.  Initially set at 30% white, 20% green and red, 3% blue.  Dawn 1 hour, daylight 4 hours, dusk 1 hour.  I'll start ramping this up in a few days/weeks, but with the frosted background looked mega bright to me at any higher than 30%.

Dosed a general fertiliser on day 2 at 50% recommended rate.  I'll lightly dose over the first few weeks.  Am basing the dosing regime on any new growth on the plants and using the condition of the Frogbit as an indicator of nutrient levels.



Current filtration - 1 x Aquael PAT Mini and 1 x Aquael Turbo 500, which is making everything sway gently.  However I've always used an external filter in the past and am hating the clutter in the tank, so have just ordered a Oase Biomaster Thermo 250.  Figured this will be fine as actual water volume is only 150 litres on account of the deeper substrate and dropped water line.  This gives me six times turnover per hour.

Water changes 50% daily so far.  Why, oh why did I not buy a pump for water changes years ago?????  Loving the Eheim 1000.

Now 9 days in I have no algae other than the expected diatoms on a few surfaces and plant leaves.  There is a bit of white fungus on the Corbo, but that should disappear quickly enough, as it had been soaking for a while.  I think I just jetwashed off the biofilm, so it's going back through the whole process again.  I have added an MTS and a few Ramshorns to assist.

The Anubias and the Frogbit are flowering - yay.






Please feel free to give me thoughts, pointers etc.  I've kept tanks for years, but usually only have fine gravel with a little loose soil under it, root tabs, polysperma and Amazon Swords.  The whole planted tank is new to me!


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## The Miniaturist (28 Mar 2022)

Hi there,
It's interesting watching your tank progress from an empty glass box to having growth and development!
The sprinkle of larger stones on top of the gravel breaks up its uniformity nicely. I tried it scaled down in my nano using sand & gravel then, typically, planted all over the sand. 🙄
Pity about the huge branch, I could just see it with a couple of orchids or a few bromeliads growing there, leading down to the tank...


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## NatalieHurrell (28 Mar 2022)

The Miniaturist said:


> Pity about the huge branch, I could just see it with a couple of orchids or a few bromeliads growing there, leading down to the tank...


I really had hoped I could achieve something like that, but will have to find another way.  Am thinking about possibly finding some Redmoor wood to hook over the side of the tank and place some on that.  All I need to do now is find the perfect piece!


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## Hufsa (28 Mar 2022)

NatalieHurrell said:


> Just need to fashion some hangers with the plastic coated horticultural wire, which arrived in the post today.


You wouldnt have a link to this wire would you? Im looking into doing the same and trying to find the best wire

Tank looks nice, its always so exciting at first when you dont know which direction things will take and youre just waiting for the plants to do their thing 😊


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## NatalieHurrell (28 Mar 2022)

Hufsa said:


> You wouldnt have a link to this wire would you? Im looking into doing the same and trying to find the best wire



Hi @Hufsa, 

I chose this one, as it's plastic coated:

Kingfisher GSW101 3 mm Heavy Duty Fence Wire - Green Amazon product

MD Fish Tanks uses one, but the link he gave seemed to be uncoated aluminium, which worries me as everything I can find says its poisonous if it starts to deteriorate.  That said his Amazon tank has been running for ages and all the fish are still alive and kicking!


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## NatalieHurrell (28 Mar 2022)

@Hufsa just tried this wire and would recommend a 2mm version.  The 3mm is so unwealdy.  Poor plant got a bit battered and the outcome was less than pretty...


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## NatalieHurrell (2 Apr 2022)

Swapped to the Oase Biomaster Thermo today.  Hoses were a pig to straighten out, even after putting in warm water.  I had to also fashion an extension to the arm of the spray bar to drop it below my lower water line.  Other than that it was brilliantly easy to set up and prime.  The tank looks so much better without the clutter.  Wonder if I should have gone for the 350, but was worried about the Paradise Fish hating too high a flow.  All plants still gently swaying.  Still a bit of a dead spot behind the massive bit of Corbo wood, but the intake is there.  Worst case I'll put the PAT Mini back in.  The fish will also add movement, especially the Cory's.

I've already pinched and replanted the tops of a lot if the stem plants and everything is throwing out new leaves.  Still no algae, apart from a few diatoms on the slate.  The white fungus is still present on the Corbo wood, but there is only a tiny amount of it.

I've seeded the filter and if the temperature hits the right level I'll pop the four Corys in tomorrow, then go and get the second batch for quarantine.  Should have bought a bigger quarantine tank!


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## NatalieHurrell (7 Apr 2022)

So Corys went in on Sunday and I popped and got a couple more for the quarantine tank.  I also got four Amanos, who have settled into the main tank nicely.  I need to dig out my macro lens at some point.






Diatoms are dusting all the leaves, making the tank look ugly, but so far the substrate is looking fine.  A quick leaf rub before water changes is mostly rectifying it.  Well, I say quick...

I've moved the Brazilian Pennywort from where it was wedged in the Corbo into the back corner and planted it in the substrate.  It was getting holes in it's leaves and looking a bit pale, although it was/is sending out new side shoots.  I also felt it wasn't helping the flow in that area and the Frogbit kept grabbing hold of it.

Not overly impressed with the Biomaster 250 in terms of flow and have put the PAT Mini back in, just behind the Corbo wood.    I have ordered the coarser pre-filter foams.  I'll swap them at the weekend and also Vaseline everything, as it is purging a very small amount of air about every half an hour. Nothing major, but still mildly annoying.  I have tilted it in all directions which has pretty much cured it.  I left the hoses long enough to bring the filter out of the cabinet and there are no kinks in the hoses, but they do dip down before going up.  I know gravity helps, but am considering shortening them, so the water has less distance to travel.  Is this a good idea?  Makes sense to me, but the person who runs my local Maidenhead Aquatics didn't think it would make much of a difference.

The plants have started to look a bit starved.  It happened after I put the Peace Lily in and didn't up my ferts.  The Peace Lily has been removed for now and dosing upped a bit.  See how it goes.  No doubt I'll be asking for help on that front shortly.  Not sure my all in one fertiliser is actually an all in one.  It's the Aquadip plant Food +.  The ingredients are a bit vague to say the least:

"_AQUADIP Plant Food+ is an essential product for aquatic plants taking nutrients through the leaves. It is a complete plant fertiliser containing all important micro and macro nutrients, providing optimal, lush and healthy plant growth. The range of nutrients contains iron, potassium and magnesium, ammonium, boron, copper, lithium, manganese, iodine, tin, nickel, cobalt and a few more ingredients to make this your complete plant fertiliser. _"

 I have put some Tropica root tabs under a couple of the hungriest looking plants.






Am going to educate myself on EI dosing next.  Wish me luck.


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## The Miniaturist (8 Apr 2022)

Hi there,
Are you planning on a centrepiece plant such as a red lotus or an echinodorus or keeping it soft with lots of flowing stems?
You look too organised to haphazardly buy odd plants because they look attractive then find out how much care/space they need like I do! 😂


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## NatalieHurrell (8 Apr 2022)

@The Miniaturist  I'd love a red lotus.  They didn't have any in stock.  As my original scheme got thwarted by floating branches the whole layout I had in my head went out the window.  Was supposed to be a lot more jungle stylie.  I am intending to get rid of the slate and plant more of a mix.  Organised wasn't the look I was going for, but seemed to have failed miserably 🤣


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## si walker (8 Apr 2022)

I can sympathise with your filter pipe struggles. I have the Oase Thermo 100 and just hacked the pipes in half to make the two lengths, with the fear of cutting them too short. When first installing I too had air spitting ever 2 then 5 minutes then it eventually went away. They are a great thing but really just a pain as well. Obviously there is no one size that fits all, thats for sure! Sometimes I just accept that with the space that I have and what I am trying to do, things will never be quite right. Guess thats the fun of it though. Looking forward to seeing your posts and thanks for sharing!


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## NatalieHurrell (8 Apr 2022)

@si walker  Did you cut them down shorter in the end?


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## si walker (8 Apr 2022)

Hi.
No I didn't. I was so happy to have set it all up and for the air to stop going into the tank that I just left it. I really feel like this about my setup, if its okay just leave it for a while to bed in. Especially as it is kinda low tech. Space is a real issue/pain for me. Everything is squashed into a corner! I try to remove that show tank image from my brain


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## NatalieHurrell (9 Apr 2022)

@si walker  Me too on the show tank front!

I have shortened the hoses today and greased the o rings.  Also swapped to the coarser pre-filter sponges.  Flow seems a little better.  Will leave the little internal filter in until the tank matures, then decided whether to take it out or not.  I really wanted to put ripariums plants right where it's sat!


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## NatalieHurrell (12 Apr 2022)

Finally got my hands on a potted Hygrophila pinnatifida.  Horizon Aquatics had one in stock and whilst I was at it I also ordered a Bucephalandra wavy green on bogwood with moss, several Ludwigia mini super red and an Eleocharis montevidensis.   Well seemed rude not too.



I've put the pinnatifida at the top of the Corbo and it's already at the surface.  Hoping it will grow emersed.






Been topping out the stem plants and replanting, so hopefully it will get a bit more jungle like soon.  Everything is putting out new growth.

The only thing I have lost is most of my original in vitro pinnatifida.  It melted, but I think this was partly due to being wedged too deep in the wood and getting no flow.  There's one healthy sprig left, that has gained roots and more leaves.  The tripartita was looking rather ropey, but is starting to recover since I upped the ferts a bit.

The shrimp were having a spa day during today's water change, bombing up and down in the bubbles.  Such a joy to watch!


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## NatalieHurrell (15 Apr 2022)

I popped to MA at Dummer today and got some cherry shrimp and some gorgeous wild type looking male Endlers, albeit they will have guppy in there somewhere (OK a lot of guppy in there).  They also had some beautiful hybrid yellow lyretails, so have four males of those too.  Can be kept at 22 ish degrees and relatively shrimp safe.  (Un)fortunately they managed to give me a juvenile freebie female guppy that I've had to separate.  Not sure what to do with her yet.  She's happily bopping around a spare planted tank by herself at the moment.

I also picked up some Selaginella.  I had my suspicions that it's not fully aquatic and this has been confirmed by the kind people on this forum.  To this end I managed to fashion some riparium holders from a wire coathanger, which I covered in airline.  I now have the Peace Lily in one and  a Parlour Palm and the Selagenella in the other.  Pretty chuffed with the results, even if I do say so myself.


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## NatalieHurrell (15 Apr 2022)

Latest additions to the family!


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## NatalieHurrell (16 Apr 2022)

Went to feed the lone juvenile female this morning and found she only has one eye.  Not one good eye and one damaged, but a complete blank on one side of her face .  Now I feel compelled to keep her.  If I take her back to the shop she'd likely be offed...


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## The Miniaturist (16 Apr 2022)

Oh, poor girl! You must keep her now. One of my Ottos has uneven eyes, a bit like this 🤪 but I've had him four years & he's the first on the spinach leaves. He has the unimaginative name of Odd Eye....


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## NatalieHurrell (20 Apr 2022)

Today I have added some Creeping Jenny to my riparium plants.  I've popped it in the back of the Peace Lily bracket and bought it out over the side of the tank, so it can't run wild.  It worked in the little vase I had, so let's see what happens in this tank.


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## NatalieHurrell (21 Apr 2022)

So, having started out wanting an 18 degree tank with Corys and Paradise fish, I then ended up getting shrimp, followed by Endler hybrids and setting the tank to 22 degrees.  Hoping the guppy part of the hybrids wins over on the temperature side of things.  A week in and so far so good.  My other half then chirped up that he wanted some bigger, colourful fish.  My quarantine tank now has six mixed guppies in it. Two are absolutely enormous for males guppies.  I'm guessing shrimplets may not last long ,  but the adult Cherries and Amanos should be OK.

42 years of fishkeeping and ended up pretty much where I started with guppies!


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## NatalieHurrell (27 Apr 2022)

Small update.   Decided to empty the quarantine tank of it's plants and have moved them to the main one.  Basically it's Eldoa, Anacharis, one lonely sprig of Bacopa and yet more Hygrophila.  Everything else is still growing nicely.  I had some melt on the Ludwigia, but lots of new leaves have appeared already, so all good.  The Selagenella went crispy as a riparium plant.  If I'd had a lid I guess it might have been OK, but not humid enough with a rimless.  All ticking along nicely.  Still no algae...

Have remembered why I like guppies.  Colourful, easy maintenance, give up food to even the teenie Cherry shrimp and basically just a bit silly.  They may not be rare or even that interesting to some, but I've become quite attached already.


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## bazz (28 Apr 2022)

NatalieHurrell said:


> They may not be rare or even that interesting to some, but I've become quite attached already.


As long as they're happy and you're happy that's all that matters!


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## The Miniaturist (28 Apr 2022)

I think guppies look & behave differently in larger tanks, they seem totally manic to me in a small volume of water. Whereas in your tank you can really appreciate their beautiful colours & the way they shimmer when swimming.
@bazz is absolutely right, it's your tank after all!


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## NatalieHurrell (28 Apr 2022)

They had to meet the criteria of temperate, not a Platy, shrimp safe, plant safe, not too likely to jump, can take a pH of 8, hardwater and don't mind a reasonable waterflow.  Was running out of options!


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## NatalieHurrell (30 Apr 2022)

So I decided today to try the tank without the spray bar.  I know conventional wisdom says if it ain't broke don't try to fix it, but a) it would be one less thing in the tank and b) it would allow me to put more riparium plants in.

I swapped the PAT Mini for the Aquael Turbo 500 for a bit more flow and aimed it towards the front of the tank, to the right of the Corbo wood.  I then added the duckbill to the Biomaster and aimed it down the long side of the tank at the back.

I can see all plants swaying a little more and that both filter inlets are picking up the bits of leaves the flow has kicked up, so circulation seems good all round.  The added bonus is that the fish are loving the extra flow.

I've now moved both the plant holders to the back left corner.  The Pothos on the plant shelf is growing well, so plan to train that along the wall behind the tank 😀. 




I've also got to the point where I should break the quarantine tank down, but struggling to bring myself to do it, with it's colony of snails and the lovely mature substrate.  I'm now toying with the idea of using the PAT Mini in it and having an unheated shrimp colony or something else that could do without a heater 🤔.  It's great to look at whilst working.


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## The Miniaturist (30 Apr 2022)

I'd be inclined to keep the quarantine tank running, it has it's own space so why move it? You can always use it as a grow-out tank for plant cuttings for filling odd gaps or replacing plants when they're getting tired of being trimmed so many times.
Your plant holders are looking good, the one plant seems to be trying to grow an umbrella of roots!


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## NatalieHurrell (30 Apr 2022)

We do need to decorate the room the quarantine tank is in, including the ceiling, so the sensible thing would be to shut it down for now and I do have a 75 bucket I could use in an emergency for treating anything.  Was trying to be so good and stick to only one tank and use less electricity and look after the environment, but even my other half is saying keep it.  Was trying to avoid multiple tank syndrome this time round  (have a feeling I may have failed).


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## NatalieHurrell (2 May 2022)

Decided I wanted to add some Tradescantia and Fittonia to my riparium section and have procured some courtesy of B&Q.  Found these brilliant little aquarium airline suction cups that come with cable ties.  They stick really well.  Granted they probably won't cope with big, heavy plants, but for now they do the job.


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## Hufsa (2 May 2022)

Tank is really coming along, the trick with suction cup and zip tie for small plants is brilliant 😃 
I never quite 'got' your journal name, can you explain it to Miss Slow here, what does it reference? 😊


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## NatalieHurrell (2 May 2022)

It's in reference to me going to Ikea and having the idea to get a vase and do a mini scape in it.  It then morphed to 36 litre tank and then this one


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## Buggy (2 May 2022)

NatalieHurrell said:


> Found these brilliant little aquarium airline suction cups that come with cable times.
> 
> View attachment 187788
> 
> Where would I happen to find some of these?


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## NatalieHurrell (2 May 2022)

@Buggy you can get them on Amazon.

Amazon product


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## Buggy (2 May 2022)

NatalieHurrell said:


> @Buggy you can get them on Amazon.
> 
> Amazon product



Thank you very much


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## NatalieHurrell (7 May 2022)

Today I took a little trip to Maidenhead Aquatics to get some pond plants.  One was Club Rush, that is supposed to max out at 30cms, so have added a portion to my riparium too.





The pond is ugly as hell.  I hope to remove all bar  the first row of the crazy paving from the right side and grow ground cover that will hide the edge.  The wildlife use the pond, so love having it there.


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## The Miniaturist (7 May 2022)

If all your emersed plants grow you will need to rename the journal "Welcome to the Jungle"! 😄


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## NatalieHurrell (7 May 2022)

The Miniaturist said:


> If all your emersed plants grow you will need to rename the journal "Welcome to the Jungle"! 😄


I'll be mucho happy if I get to that stage


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## NatalieHurrell (10 May 2022)

I've been once again soaking one of my original bits of wood, that I'd collected locally.  It's weathered, rock hard and we think either oak or beech, as nothing else was growing in that area (if the fish go belly up we'll soon know my foraging expertise is lacking).  I've managed to anchor the branch with the lava rock my anubias is growing on, plus a few more thrown in for good measure.   It's not exactly aquascaping, but the rock pile has added an extra playground for the shrimp

 I had to add a small bit of lava rock to the other end of the branch to keep it sitting on the corbo wood.  I'm going to see how it goes and then order some more pangalino or something to attach to it.  I was hoping I could orientate the wood  so it looked a bit more arch like, but beggars can't be choosers.

I've moved the mini bogwood with the Wavy Green to the place where the anubias was.

I'm also intending to swap out some of the polysperma for more variety.  They've more than done their job starting up the tank.  Not a scrap of algae anywhere (although, possibly aided by the shrimp and guppies).

I managed to split one anubias up, to add to the rock pile and the other is now way bigger than when I bought it.  I'm already eyeing it up for when we've painted the dining room.  I'm going to set up an unheated shrimp tank up next to my desk.  It's official, I've failed on the only having one tank front!


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## NatalieHurrell (17 May 2022)

Wohoo.  The branch has stayed put.  Going to put an Anubias nana bonzai on it and a sprig or two of my existing pangalino.  Also got a couple of Limnophila sessiliflora to break up the mass of polysperma.  Tried to get vallis, but Horizon Aquatics had sold out of the one I wanted.

On another note my pinnatifida is sending out new growth like mad!


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## The Miniaturist (17 May 2022)

Glad the branch is behaving! It's a great piece of wood to adorn with epiphytes.
I've recently set up a small temperate tank (supposed to be a terrarium but was an abject failure 🙄) & found a bunch of cabomba to try. Haven't grown it for years, this lot has the round emersed leaves & yellow flowers so I hope it survives, it's leaves are so much finer than limnophila.


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## NatalieHurrell (17 May 2022)

The Miniaturist said:


> Glad the branch is behaving! It's a great piece of wood to adorn with epiphytes.
> I've recently set up a small temperate tank (supposed to be a terrarium but was an abject failure 🙄) & found a bunch of cabomba to try. Haven't grown it for years, this lot has the round emersed leaves & yellow flowers so I hope it survives, it's leaves are so much finer than limnophila.


Look forward to seeing it 😀


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## NatalieHurrell (23 May 2022)

Not too much to report here.  Have planted the sessiliflora and attached one Anubias nana to the branch.  Will do the other one at waterchange.  Decided superglue is easier than thread.

The riparium plants have chucked out quite a bit of growth.  The parlour palm hasn't stopped flowering.   Oh and swapped the little internal filter for the APS Skim 2, which is now permanently in the back corner (rather than putting it in the tank mid-week, in between water changes).  Kicks out reasonable flow, so teamed with the canister filter all seems to be good.


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## NatalieHurrell (2 Jun 2022)

Help needed please.

Firstly, the good bit:

I have added twelve more cherry shrimp to the tank and a Crinum thaianum.  Yay.

The bad bit:

I've hit my first little problem.  I've started to get cynobacteria under the substrate.  I think this might be where I took out the spray bar that was angled towards the surface and front glass.  What with the pea gravel mixed with the soil in net bags and the 2-3mm coarse sand in theory flow to the roots should be OK, so think it's because the duckbill wasn't allowing the flow to hit the substrate.  I put the spray bar back in today,

I don't think it will be lack of nitrate.  I dose Aquadip Plant Fertiliser Plus at 15ml three times a week and my tap water has 40ppm of nitrates (albeit only tested with an API Master Test Kit, but this also agrees with the latest Southern Water report).   50% water changes every 10-14 days, no detritus in the tank, plants thriving and no algae. Medium fish bioload.   Plants have a gentle sway on them.

I did stick a couple  more Tropica Nutrition capsules in a week ago, so could it be higher phosphates?  I added them to the area with the Cryptocoryne Lutea Hobbit and the Brazilian Pennywort, as it's never really taken off, but I realise these are not really root hungry plants like Amazon Swords.  The cyno have appeared near these two areas.  Have I made a mistake here?

The tank gets no direct sunlight, but the problem has started at the end nearest the French doors and half of the front on the tank, also nearest the doors.  We have also kept the French door curtains shut.  As it's only under the substrate I have blacked out the end nearest the doors and the bottom half of the tank around the rest of it and killed the lights for a few days.  Do I need to cover the whole tank if it's only under the substrate?

The only other time I have had it before it was also under the substrate and I was given some tablets by a friend to push into the gravel.  It disappeared within an hour.  I'm going back about 30 years here, so no idea if you can buy anything similar these days, but would rather get the source of the issue if I can.

Hints, tips etc appreciated.


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## Hufsa (2 Jun 2022)

NatalieHurrell said:


> I did stick a couple  more Tropica Nutrition capsules in a week ago, so could it be higher phosphates?  I added them to the area with the Cryptocoryne Lutea Hobbit and the Brazilian Pennywort, as it's never really taken off, but I realise these are not really root hungry plants like Amazon Swords.  The cyno have appeared near these two areas.  Have I made a mistake here?


Might be the cause, might not.

Does it look very healthy (bluegreen?) and is it threatening to start colonizing the rest of the tank, or does it stay well into the substrate? 
I suspect many have a colony of cyanobacteria in their substrate line, the conditions there seem beneficial and nothing else seems to compete with it down there. 
Mine is not blue-green but more of an off black, and has never appeared anywhere else in the tank. I leave it to its business usually.

If yours doesnt look like its planning on going anywhere else I would personally just leave it.
Would welcome other's perspective on this though.


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## NatalieHurrell (2 Jun 2022)

Hufsa said:


> Does it look very healthy (bluegreen?) and is it threatening to start colonizing the rest of the tank, or does it stay well into the substrate?


It only appeared two days ago and it's currently well within the substrate.  It's not a vivid blue green but I recognise it well enough to know what it us and what it could do.  Just don't want it to multiply or to break free at any point.  Can it "escape" if I pull a plant up for instance?


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## Hufsa (2 Jun 2022)

NatalieHurrell said:


> Can it "escape" if I pull a plant up for instance?


Sometimes I run my finger along the glass/substrate line to clean it, and I leave the algae remnants on top of the substrate for the snails to clean up because I am lazy. 
It never settles anywhere else despite me doing this. I believe "spores" will be everywhere in our tanks already, but it can only settle in the substrate line because thats the only location where conditions are right. In a way it is already "everywhere". A reasonably balanced tank would not allow it to grow to visible size anywhere else. Therefore mechanically spreading it is not something I am concerned about. 

I must add a disclaimer that I could be incorrect about the thing living in my substrate being cyano, in which case my advice might be very bad advice.
I have assumed the ID by that it comes off in filmy sheets, it likes to live in an area of very low flow but with some light (glass/substrate line), and that it doesnt smell very nice if you put a bit of it up to your nose.


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## NatalieHurrell (2 Jun 2022)

Not sure I want to start snorting it 🤔 😅.


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## NatalieHurrell (2 Jun 2022)

Just uncovered it and taken a quick snap.  The brown, rusty patches appeared first and I assumed it was iron from the Tropica tabs.  The cyno is about 1cm under the top of the substrate at it's highest point.  It's actually a stronger blue green than I recalled.





Having zoomed in in the photo I am wondering if there are tiny airpockets left, despite stabbing the substrate with my tweezers on setting the tank up and having Malaysian Trumpet Snails.  These areas have barely any plants in them, but are no deeper than 3".  I only have sand round the sides and front of the tank, with the soil net bags inset slightly, so they didn't show.


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## NatalieHurrell (2 Jul 2022)

Quick tank update.

Had a wierd experience just before going on holiday.  I'd just bought some TNC complete and dosed it conservatively for the first time, following my usual 50% waterchange (15ml into 170-180lts of water).  Within 30 minutes two cherry shrimp had died and that night a guppy jumped ship.  Did another waterchange the next day and so far so good.  Likely a coincidence, but still a worry.  Now dosing 5ml TNC and 10ml Aquadip Plus (my previous fertiliser).

Have kept a piece of card over the substrate on the end with the cyanobacteria and planted into that area.  Interestingly the cyano has gone in all the planted areas and a little bit is left in the few gaps where there are no plants.

I have split the Peace Lily and the Parlour Palm up and added some Water Crowsfoot to the tank, anchored with one of the suction cups.  Let's see how that goes.  Now looking for another medium sized riparium plant.  The Water Mint has got massive in the pond, but the sprig in the tank went all weak and leggy, so think it needs strong light.


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## The Miniaturist (2 Jul 2022)

Your tank is coming along nicely.
Congratulations on the anubias bud, one very happy healthy plant!
I notice the plant ladder becoming congested, you have got green fingers!


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## NatalieHurrell (2 Jul 2022)

The Miniaturist said:


> Your tank is coming along nicely.
> Congratulations on the anubias bud, one very happy healthy plant!
> I notice the plant ladder becoming congested, you have got green fingers!


I tend to get carried away.  I blame my mum, who was a florist and is an avid gardener!


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## NatalieHurrell (8 Jul 2022)

I've been thinking on ways to add interest to the riparium section of the tank, so decided to use some random redmoor wood I have as "plant supports".  One now has some tradescantia on it, the other I need to buy something for.  Also want to get some airplants to attach.

In other news, it turns out that the Crinum makes an excellent corral for the frogbit and water lettuce 😀.  It's tripled in length in about three weeks!


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## NatalieHurrell (9 Jul 2022)

My Mum has donated some Houttuynia cordata Chameleon, that works as a marginal plant.  It's tucked into the redmoor wood.  Lovely colour to it.  Let's see how it goes.


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## The Miniaturist (9 Jul 2022)

I like the idea of riparium plants entwined with roots. I hope it works, houttuynia chameleon is really attractive!
Is that a fittonia to the right? The white veins are amazing.


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## PARAGUAY (9 Jul 2022)

That's a great idea using roots above  and the aquarium has come along nicely👍


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## NatalieHurrell (10 Jul 2022)

The Miniaturist said:


> I like the idea of riparium plants entwined with roots. I hope it works, houttuynia chameleon is really attractive!
> Is that a fittonia to the right? The white veins are amazing.


Yes, it's Fittonia.  I have the urge to get one in every colour morph.  The red ones are fantastic.


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## NatalieHurrell (16 Jul 2022)

Went to visit a friend today, who had hauled a load of "water weed" out of her pond and it was growing emmersed/bog stylie in lots of trugs.  She gave me a large tub to take away.  So I basically got given a tonne of parrots feather and a variagated acorus of some sort.  A lot went in the pond and inevitably (me being me) some went in the tank.  Not sure how well the parrots feather will converted back to submerged, but I also have some floating and some emmersed.  I'm hedging my bets!


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## NatalieHurrell (19 Jul 2022)

It's on rare days like today when I realise how much of a worry a temperate tank can be.  I have curtains shut, a bottle of ice in the tank, a fan on the surface and a venturi running.  It's already at 26 degrees.  Not sure the peppered corys are going to enjoy it much.  Been pondering on whether the skimmer and venturi might actually be introducing more heat to the tank from the air.  Any thoughts anyone?


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## Hufsa (19 Jul 2022)

Peppered corys should be super hardy, so i wouldn't worry about them. As far as I know most amazonian habitats have periods of higher temperatures, so as long as youre keeping on top of it like you are then it should be fine. My focus would be on oxygen first and foremost, I believe that for fishes used to cold or fast flowing water, a decrease in oxygen might be the Achilles heel of sorts. So I'd keep the skimmer and venturi running


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## NatalieHurrell (19 Jul 2022)

Thank you.  That was what I thought initially (hence putting the venturi on last night) and has put my mind at ease.


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## NatalieHurrell (27 Jul 2022)

Yay.  Discovered a couple of Cory fry this evening.  They're living in the lava rock pile.  Don't fancy their chances with hungry guppies in the tank, but you never know!


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## AlecF (28 Jul 2022)

Ice cream tub, almond leaf. They'll make it.


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## NatalieHurrell (31 Jul 2022)

Sadly couldn't catch them and they got eaten.  However, rescued two eggs off the glass tonight and made a makeshift hatchery for them out of a plastic bottle with tiny holes in it, suction cupped to the side of the tank in the flow of the skimmer outlet.  Put some floating plants and a magnolia leaf in it.


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## NatalieHurrell (26 Aug 2022)

Mixed success with the Corys.  One of the original babies reappeared, so hadn't become lunch afterall.  He's getting braver by the day.  I rescued about 10 eggs off the glass, one of which made it to a reasonable size fry, so I released it into the tank.  Not seen it since.  Now have another dozen eggs in the hatchery that were laid two days ago.

I upped the guppy numbers by four.  Trying to find an equalibrium, whereby little fertilisers are required.

The warmer weather has made the growth go insane in the tank.  Annubias are throwing buds and flowers out left, right and centre 🙃.  Last count I had 23 varieties of plants under, on and growing above the water.


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