# 60-P amazon scape



## aquacoen (8 Mar 2018)

After three months of reading, waiting and reading my aquarium is finally getting shape. 12 years ago I had my first aquarium and I'm very glad I can pick up the wonderful aquarium hobby again!

My plan is to make an amazon scape with lots of plants and one couple of dwarf cichlids.

This week I installed the Twinstar 600SP. I still have to get used to the LED-lighting. It's much brighter than I expected and does not have a very warm feeling to it. Currently I'm running it at 70% with the TC421. Once the aquarium is scaped it will feel less bright I think  The Twinstar is now hanging 14cm above the aquarium because I want some space to have emersed growth. Thinking about lowering it to 10cm so I have less 'floodlight'.

The cabinet is custom made because I really wanted a height of 80cm so when I sit at my table I have the perfect viewing point.

In the next weeks I will install my filter and CO2 installation and finally start scaping.
I'm very glad I joined this forum, lot's of useful information! 

Some pictures of my fresh start:




 





 
Because of the 80cm height of the cabinet I had to attach it to my wall so it doesn't fall forward when opening the cabinet's door...


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## Tim Harrison (8 Mar 2018)

Very sleek. Which suspension kit did you use?


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## aquacoen (8 Mar 2018)

I attached the Twinstar to my ceiling with two screw hooks and 'wing toggle plugs'. Luckily the light itself is not very heavy


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## Edvet (8 Mar 2018)

aquacoen said:


> Because of the 80cm height of the cabinet I had to attach it to my wall so it doesn't fall forward when opening the cabinet's door...


If and when filling the tank i would loosen those bolts to not get stress through them, and re-attach after.


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## aquacoen (8 Mar 2018)

Thanks for your input Edvet. Once it's filled it will put more weight on the cabinet and floor so loosing and re-attaching the bolts is a good idea!


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## Jakes (8 Mar 2018)

Would it be possible to have a closer look at you cabinet design/build?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Bolota (9 Mar 2018)

Very nice!
is that a 90 or 60p?


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## aquacoen (1 Apr 2018)

Jakes said:


> Would it be possible to have a closer look at you cabinet design/build?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Tim Harrison (1 Apr 2018)

Nice to see you're taking your time to get everything spot on


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## dw1305 (1 Apr 2018)

Hi all,





aquacoen said:


>


Very nice cabinet., Can I ask what the Aroid (house plant) is? Is it an _Alocasia?
_
cheers Darrel


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## aquacoen (1 Apr 2018)

Bolota said:


> Very nice!
> is that a 90 or 60p?


It's a 60-P



Tim Harrison said:


> Nice to see you're taking your time to get everything spot on


Yes I'm taking my time. Friends think I'm keeping walking sticks 



dw1305 said:


> Hi all,Very nice cabinet., Can I ask what the Aroid (house plant) is? Is it an _Alocasia?_
> cheers Darrel


Thanks, yes it's indeed an _Alocasia_. It's an _Alocasia Cucullata_. It like's a warm spot. Since we moved it close to our radiator it's very happy 





This week I started with the hard scape. In the back I use 'ADA Power Sand Special-S' with 'Amazonia aqua soil' on top.
To finish the front I will use colorado sand with some guava leaves and seed pods on top.
It's not my goal to start a biotope aquarium but I try to only use plants, leaves and pods that can be found in Brazil.

In the future I hope to keep a couple (or harem?) _Apistogramma Trifasciata_. Any information on keeping these beautiful cichlids is welcome!

I'm working on a list with plants that can be found in Brazil and are suitable to use in my aquarium.
So far I came up with this: (*bold*=definitely going to use)

Small:
Echinodorus tenellus
(Staurogyne repens)
Eleocharis Acicularis
*Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis*

Middle:
Heteranthera Zosterifolia
Potamogeton Gayi
Sagittaria Teres
Staurogyne sp. Porto Velho
Staurogyne sp. Repens

Big:
*Echinodorus Argentinensis *(will hopefully grow out of the water)
Echinodorus Radicans
Echinodorus palaefolius
Hydrocotyle Leucocephala

Floating:
*Limnobium laevigatum*

If you know other suitable aquarium plants from this region please let me know!


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## SKYE.__.HIGH (2 Apr 2018)

ADA sticker in the back?????  ): LOL


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## zozo (2 Apr 2018)

Nice setup.. 

But this looks kinda waiting to fail over time. Is it only for the reason of the door weight pulling when opened?


aquacoen said:


> Because of the 80cm height of the cabinet I had to attach it to my wall so it doesn't fall forward when opening the cabinet's door...



Does the whole setup stand sollid for the rest on its own? I'm asking because had such an issue with a wooden plank floor on underlayment.. I did install it first and test filled it without any hardscape in it just water. I noticed when i walked by the tank that it slightly rocked back and fort, because its weight, total about 180kg presses down on the planks and underlayment. It kinda lifted the planks slightly at the right side of the tank and there is a doorway to the bathroom. So there is a lot of walking by the tank every day. Standing on the planks next to the tank pressed again on the planks with my 80kg lifting the tank up for e few milimeters. And saw the water moving.. I was lucky i did a test fill for other reasons for a few days. Without water in it it was barely noticable.

I was also lucky there is a room behind the wall the tank stands.. Because of the tank moving a little with walking by and its total weight i did not trust screws and plugs in an old brick wall. These could loosen over time under the constant stress. So as permanent solution i decided to go all the way through the wall with M10 threadrods, big washers and nuts. Bolted a steel profile again at the other side of the wall between the threadrods in the other room to devide the weight over 2 point and the total lenght between them. That way a 4 point connection like that to the cabinet and 2 steel profiles in the other room, 2 close to the floor and 2 close to the top of the cabinet.

Long story..  But if that is an underlayment floor you got there. I would definitively test it before completely scape and fill. Take away or loosen the bolds and check for movement while dancing around the tank.. If it does you see the water in the tank rock back and fort. If that is true makes sure the plugs and the wall are up to the constant stress. Would be a shame to see that it doesn't a half a year after seting all up and its running.


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## aquacoen (2 Apr 2018)

zozo said:


> Nice setup..
> 
> But this looks kinda waiting to fail over time. Is it only for the reason of the door weight pulling when opened?
> 
> ...



Thanks a lot for your thoughts zozo. The whole setup is standing solid on it's own as long as the door is closed. When the door is opened, the setup leans forward when I put some downwards pressure on the door. Luckily the tank is not in a place where there is a lot of walking.. It is indeed an underlayment floor so testing the setup with water in it is a good idea. I have loosened the bolts already as Edvet mentioned (I will tighten them when the tank is filled). Now with loosened bolts and an empty tank there is little movement when I change my bodyweight on different places of the floor... So yes there is movement.

Thread rods all the way through the wall is not an option for me.. The screws I used have the recommanded length and diameter for the 'fischer duopower wall plugs', so I was hoping this would do the trick. Feels very solid!

Next week I have to do some tests with my filter and CO2 installation with a filled tank. When all the hardware is working I'm definitely going to do a little dancing around the tank. Not only because of joy.... Thanks again!


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## aquacoen (15 May 2018)

Finally I got my tank planted! The whole setup is now steady as a rock and levelled. 

I really enjoyed the scaping!

*Plantlist: *(not strictly amazon biotope but all plants can be found in Brazil)

Echinodorus Radicans (too big for my tank, but I want it to grow with some leaves sticking out of the tank)
Helanthium bolivianum ´Angustifolius´
Hydrocleys Nymphoides 

Invitro:
Helanthium tenellum 'Green' 
Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis
Sagittaria subulata 
Vesicularia dubyana 'Christmas'
Heteranthera Zosterifolia
Staurogyne Repens
Salvinia Auriculata
Limnobium Laevigatum



 Waiting to be planted...



 
The invitro cups. I was really surprised by the quality!



 


Work in progress.. I used Dupla Plantfix to glue some pieces of wood to rocks, works very well. 



 
The final composition. I found it difficult to combine the rocks and the wood in a natural way.. 



 
First breeze of water on the ADA power sand.


 
Amazonia soil on top.



 
Adding the sand. Washed it multiple times. Tank still got a bit clouded..



 
Attaching the moss



 
Everything is planted!

Had to put some rocks on the wood, hope they will sink soon!
To start I will run the Twinstar on 70% for 5 hours a day.
Co2 starts one hour before the light turns on and stops one hour before the light turns off with two bubbles per second.
This week I will do daily water changes with tap water. 
After one week I will do water changes every other day.
After one month I will hopefully doing one water change each week, depending on the water quality..

Filter is running with ceramic pipes and bio rio.

I will post some more pictures after the first week.

Feel free to critique my scape!
If you have tips for cycling my tank please let me know! Thanks in advance.


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## aquacoen (15 May 2018)

sorry.. double post


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## alto (15 May 2018)

Really like the scape though not sure how suited it is to dwarf cichlids - suspect you'll need to choose your species carefully 

Are there local breeders or will you be getting fish through the local shops?


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## alto (15 May 2018)

aquacoen said:


> If you have tips for cycling my tank please let me know! Thanks in advance.


Patience is usually best 

With ADA soil, ammonia levels can be quite variable - the changeover from daily water changes to every other day & then weekly etc, should be guided by the ammonia levels, plant health 

While there's no livestock, it's easy to increase CO2 for plants 

OTOH there's no harm in adding a product such as Seachem Stability (there are a few branded bacteria products that can be effective, but also other products which seem to have little effect on "cycling")
Though if ammonia & nitrite levels are too high (re ADA soil) this can inhibit the bacteria you're trying to establish 

If you can obtain biomedia from a friend's tank, this is usually the best source of "cycle assist"

For more adventuresome reading, Darrel dw1305 has some good links


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## alto (15 May 2018)

For dwarf cichlid information, I recommend inputting your species of interest into the Search Engine over at 

Apistogramma.com 

Reading all the entries, then posting your queries 

The Krib also has loads of interesting posts


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## aquacoen (15 May 2018)

alto said:


> Really like the scape though not sure how suited it is to dwarf cichlids - suspect you'll need to choose your species carefully
> 
> Are there local breeders or will you be getting fish through the local shops?



Yes I have to do some more research. Luckily there are quit a lot of breeders here in The Netherlands. I even became a member of the Dutch Cichlid Association: https://www.nvcweb.nl/

Great source of information. 
I think Apistogramma Trifasciata could be an option.. any thoughts?


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## Edvet (15 May 2018)

Just make sure you have plenty of hiding places and not to bright light.
My black cube was full of fry moving around:

I cleaned it up and ony left some swordplants. I couldn't find any apisto's anymore. Turned out they are all hiding in the growth on the walls. They are sll still there just hidden.


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## Sakura83 (15 May 2018)

nice idea that wall hook, first time see something like that


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## dw1305 (15 May 2018)

Hi all, 





aquacoen said:


> I think Apistogramma Trifasciata could be an option.. any thoughts?


I kept them for a while.

The males are <"relatively aggressive"> from a young age, to both other males and un-receptive females. You really need to keep them as a harem, one male and two or three females. Each female needs about 30 x 30 cm of floor space (with cover and a cave), and you nee some space which isn't in a territory for the male.

_Apistogramma cacatuoides _or _A. borellii_ are a lot calmer, A. "Steel-Blue" is also pretty aggressive, _A. agassizii _is somewhere in the middle.

cheers Darrel


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## aquacoen (16 May 2018)

Edvet said:


> I couldn't find any apisto's anymore. Turned out they are all hiding in the growth on the walls. They are sll still there just hidden.


Your tank is looking very healthy. Nice! Curious to know what species apisto your keeping..



dw1305 said:


> The males are <"relatively aggressive"> from a young age, to both other males and un-receptive females. You really need to keep them as a harem, one male and two or three females. Each female needs about 30 x 30 cm of floor space (with cover and a cave), and you nee some space which isn't in a territory for the male.
> 
> _Apistogramma cacatuoides _or _A. borellii_ are a lot calmer, A. "Steel-Blue" is also pretty aggressive, _A. agassizii _is somewhere in the middle.
> 
> cheers Darrel



That's some very usefull information. I won't be adding fish before the end of august so that will give me plenty of time to do some research. I'm sure the cichlid association I mentioned before can help me out finding the right species. Thanks!


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## alto (16 May 2018)

Do a Journal Forum search for 

Bitaeniata

- gorgeous _A bitaeniata "Shishita"_ (from Nuno M. )


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## aquacoen (21 May 2018)

Overall the plants are doing good. Unfortunately the saggitaria subulata is melting? Hydrocleys Nymphoides has already reached the surface! (picture is from this morning..)

Some of the driftwood still needs to sink so the overall composition is a bit out of balance now. 
The dropchecker was blue/green this morning (see picture) after 2hours of co2 running and 1hour of light. So I added some more co2 today. Dropchecker is now light green so I will keep it like this and see what tomorrow brings..

_How often do I have to refresh the solution in the dropchecker to get an accurate reading?_

I'm now dosing half the recommanded amount of ADA Green Brighty Neutral K and Green Brighty Mineral after doing a 50% waterchange. Upcoming week I will dose the recommanded amount to see how plants will respond. New leaves on my floaters (Limnobium Laevigatum) are a bit yellow so I think I will need to add more ferts. 

Untill now I see no signs of algae, only some light mold on the dritfwood. 

My pH is 6.1 in the evening, after doing the waterchange (at night because of work) it's 6.6. When co2 is running in the morning for two hours it drops to 5.9. 
_Should I consider using ADA Brighty instead of ADA Brighty Neutral K so my pH doesn't drop this much?
_
NO2 is 0.2 mg/L so I will keep doing the nightly 50% waterchanges..


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## rebel (22 May 2018)

AFAIK unless you have spilled etc the dropchecker solution doesn't need refreshing.


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## aquacoen (22 May 2018)

Thanks for your answer. Just to be sure I will fill it with new solution tomorrow. Dropchecker is still lightgreen after 8 hours of no co2 and I have a lot of surface movement..


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## aquacoen (27 May 2018)

I'm having some problems with the Staurogyne Repens in the back. Some leaves are brown. Is this algae or something else? Other plants are growing well. Heteranthera needs it's first trimming.


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## Jack Reilly (27 May 2018)

Aren’t they just melting ? I planted a bunch of them in my last tank , they all melted like that for no reason while everything else was healthy and then grew back new leaves and we’re very healthy too. I didnt understand why.​


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## alto (27 May 2018)

Curious if your tap water is fairly "soft"?

It's not unusual for S repens to melt (though there are also plenty of instances of it not melting) - just trim the damaged leafs & wait for new growth, it usually forms strong roots then more leaf growth

Tropica article 

What are the very pale long, narrow leafs in the photo?


aquacoen said:


> I'm now dosing half the recommanded amount of ADA Green Brighty Neutral K and Green Brighty Mineral after doing a 50% waterchange


ADA is already a lean dosing system, not sure I'd do reduced dosing (but I have very soft tap water)
Are you doing daily water change & dosing?


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## aquacoen (27 May 2018)

alto said:


> Curious if your tap water is fairly "soft"?
> 
> It's not unusual for S repens to melt (though there are also plenty of instances of it not melting) - just trim the damaged leafs & wait for new growth, it usually forms strong roots then more leaf growth
> 
> ...



Thanks for your reply. My tap water is 8,9 ºdH and 7,8pH. 
This week I started with 50% waterchanges every other day. I now dose the recommended amount of ADA fertilizers after the water change (every other day).
There is plenty CO2 in my tank with good flow. Twinstar light is now running at 70% for 5 hours a day. 


The long pale leaves are Helanthium Bolivianum 'Angustifolius' in this new photo on the left side behind the spiderwood. In front is Heteranthera Zosterifolia. It's growing very tall. Going to trim it tomorrow. I would say it's not getting enough light? Should I also dose more fertilizer? 

Overall I have the feeling my plants are not looking very green..

Ph log yesterday (was not at home between 11:30 and 17:14..)
09:00 - 6.9 before co2
09:30 - 6.6 co2 on
10:00 - 6.4 co2 on +lights on
10:30 - 6.3 co2 on +lights on
11:00 - 6.2 co2 on +lights on
11:30 - 6.1 co2 on +lights on

14:00 - ?? co2 off
15:00 - ?? lights off

17:14 - 6.1 co2 off
23:22 - 6.5 co2 off


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## alto (28 May 2018)

What are your tank dimensions?
Looks talller than 36cm


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## aquacoen (28 May 2018)

It's a 60P so 60x30x30cm


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## castle (28 May 2018)

aquacoen said:


> It's a 60P so 60x30x30cm



Should be 60x30x36cm


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## DeiJas (28 May 2018)

SKYE.__.HIGH said:


> ADA sticker in the back?????  ): LOL
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Why not, it's the inside that's important, why would anyone want to advertise other company for free.


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## aquacoen (28 May 2018)

castle said:


> Should be 60x30x36cm


 
Oops, 36cm thanks.


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## Sakura83 (28 May 2018)

alto said:


> Curious if your tap water is fairly "soft"?
> 
> It's not unusual for S repens to melt (though there are also plenty of instances of it not melting) - just trim the damaged leafs & wait for new growth, it usually forms strong roots then more leaf growth


S. Repens could be emersed?


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## dw1305 (29 May 2018)

Hi all,





alto said:


> ADA is already a lean dosing system, not sure I'd do reduced dosing





aquacoen said:


> I now dose the recommended amount of ADA fertilizers after the water change (every other day).





aquacoen said:


> of ADA Green Brighty Neutral K and Green Brighty Mineral


Looking at the colour of the plant leaves it looks like you are having some nutrient deficiency issues.

I'm not a CO2 user, but the plants can only make use of the additional CO2 <"if the other nutrients aren't limiting growth">. 

From the earlier posts in the thread I don't think you are dosing any nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P)? These are two of the nutrients that plants need most of  (together with potassium (K) they are the macro-nutrients N: P: K).  

I'm not a user of any <"specific brand of fertilizer">, the issue for me is that plants can only take up nutrients as ions, and every K+ ion etc is indistinguishable from every other K+ ion. 

cheers Darrel


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## aquacoen (5 Jun 2018)

dw1305 said:


> From the earlier posts in the thread I don't think you are dosing any nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P)? These are two of the nutrients that plants need most of  (together with potassium (K) they are the macro-nutrients N: P: K).



Thanks for your input. Interesting to read about N: P: K. I think it's indeed a nutrients issue. The past week I started with daily dosing ADA fertilizers. 
The Green Brighty K Neutral contains *potassium*. Together with green Brighty Mineral, this supplies iron, magnesium and other trace elements. _(?what other trace elements I can't find on the ADA website?)_

Quote from ADA website:
"nitrogen and phosphorus are seldom in short supply in Nature Aquarium as they are supplied from the substrate made of Power Sand and Aqua Soil and also from fish droppings and unconsumed fish food. Rather, these nutrients are often in excess and lead to algae in the tank."

I'm using Power Sand and Aqua Soil so *phosphorus* should be enough.. 

The only thing I'm not adding to my aquarium right now is *nitrogen*.. I'll see how the plants react on daily dosing this week. If the new leaves are still pale I'll consider adding ADA Green Brighty Nitrogen.


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## Edvet (5 Jun 2018)

aquacoen said:


> these nutrients are often in excess and lead to algae in the tank


the general opinion in this forum is ( and it's demonstrated in many many cases) excess nutrients DON'T cause algae.
And in contrairy to the ADA website if there are many fast growing plants the amount of nitrogen in the tank and provided by animal waste aren't enough.
I used to dose 3 spoons of KNO2 in may large tank 3 times a week and didn't get algae. Some here have accidentaly overdosed their ferts in large amounts without algae.


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## dw1305 (5 Jun 2018)

Hi all, 





aquacoen said:


> _(?what other trace elements I can't find on the ADA website?)_


There are <"seventeen elements required for plant growth">, plants need them in differing amounts, but they need about ten times as much nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) as any of the other nutrients, elements required in small amounts are referred to as "trace (or micro) nutrients".

Most nutrients are mobile within the plant, and it will move them to the newest leaves if they are deficient. This is the reason why deficiencies of potassium, nitrogen, magnesium (Mg)  etc effect older leaves. Deficiencies of non-mobile elements effect new leaves, have a look at <"Duckweed Index says...">.

Looking at this image




It looks like you have a deficiency of a non-mobile element (probably iron (Fe)), now you are adding iron new leaves should be greener. If one element is severely deficient it doesn't matter how much you have of the others, you aren't going to get any growth.

Plants are carbon based, and aquatic plants are carbon limited, but they can only make use of the extra carbon (that you are adding as CO2) if the other nutrients aren't limiting. 





Edvet said:


> the general opinion in this forum is ( and it's demonstrated in many many cases) excess nutrients DON'T cause algae.
> And in contrairy to the ADA website if there are many fast growing plants the amount of nitrogen in the tank and provided by animal waste aren't enough.
> I used to dose 3 spoons of KNO2 in may large tank 3 times a week and didn't get algae. Some here have accidentally overdosed their ferts in large amounts without algae.


I think if you are adding CO2, this is entirely valid, you have to make the mineral nutrients non-limiting for the plants to be able to utilise the extra CO2.

I'm not a CO2 user, partially because I'm not interested in optimal plant growth. I just wan't some active plant growth. Have a look at <"Unlimited nutrients...">.

cheers Darrel


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## aquacoen (14 Jun 2018)

Thanks for your advice and information Darrel.
The plants are doing much better since I add fertilizers every morning.
(ADA Green Brighty K Neutral 3ml & ADA Green Brighty Mineral 3ml)

I changed the title of my journal to "60-P amazon scape" because I'm not sure if I'm still going to keep apistogramma's. I saw some Axelrodia Riesei in my aquarium shop this week. Great looking fish and very calm! Other recommendations on calm small south American fish are welcome  



 
I still think my plants look a bit yellow. Might try adding nitrogen in the future but don't want to rush things. I think by adding fish my nitrate level will allready rise..

This week I added three Otocinclus Affinis (sold as...). After some reading I think it's actually O.Macrospilus. I'm not sure because the photos and discripition on many websites are a bit vague.. Would like to hear your thoughts 


 

I was amazed to see how fast they clean up the algae I had on the glass and on the spiderwood! 
When should I start giving them extra food? Any recommendations on what sort of food and how many times a week?


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## AndreiD (14 Jun 2018)

If you dose NPK and micros then those stauro melts is co2 issue , start co2 at least 2 hours before light are on and be sure you add enough co2 

There could be another situation for stauro to melt , high NH4 levels in the tank , but if the tank is clean I assume NH4 is not an issue


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## aquacoen (14 Jun 2018)

AndreiD said:


> start co2 at least 2 hours before light are on and be sure you add enough co2


Thanks for your reply AndreiD. About a week ago I made an adjustment. Now my co2 runs from 08:00 till 13:30 and my lights at 70% from 10:00 till 15:00. 
My dropchecker is green when the light turns on and is light-green when lights turn off. Stauro is making new leaves, so fingers crossed


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## AndreiD (14 Jun 2018)

Forgot to mention that you need to trim the affected plants(melted ones) , if co2 is in good shape new healthy stems will grow soon (5-7 days) 

Good luck


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## dw1305 (15 Jun 2018)

Hi all, 





aquacoen said:


> I saw some Axelrodia Riesei in my aquarium shop this week. Great looking fish and very calm!


They aren't often for sale, and I believe they aren't the easiest to keep, but they are really nice looking fish. Have a look at <"Apistogramma forums: _Axelrodia riesei">_


aquacoen said:


> When should I start giving them extra food? Any recommendations on what sort of food and how many times a week?


I'd try feeding them straight away. <"I used to give mine Bell Pepper, Green Beans, Courgette and Cucumber">, and I'd basically have vegetables available in the tank all the time. They also like <"structural leaf litter"> to browse on, and it would also be utilized by the Tetras. 

cheers Darrel


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## alto (15 Jun 2018)

aquacoen said:


> Axelrodia Riesei in my aquarium shop this week



Tap water is very soft here - local shop brings these in through a SA supplier - fish seem robust & relatively easy, though they don't display great color in sale tank
(they look grand in the planted display)


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## aquacoen (4 Jul 2018)

A quick update. Tank is doing good. Added some new plants (Myriophyllum Mattogrossense and Hydrocotyle Leucocephala). Got rid of Heteranthera Zosterifolia. I found it difficult to trim it so it would grow more dense. Maybe I'll try again when I'm more experienced..

Staurogene repens is still having troubles. Added some new plants, these started melting the first week, now making fresh leaves.
Unfortunately one of the oto's jumped out two weeks ago.. The two left are doing good but they sometimes keep swimming very active against the front glass. They have plenty to eat.. could it be low oxygen levels? My ph is 6.1 at it's lowest. 6.7 in the evening.



 
I'm now also dosing nitrogen. I can clearly see Limnobium Laevigatum getting greener leaves.


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## aquacoen (17 Aug 2018)

After a four week holiday this is what the tank looked like. A friend of mine did the weekly water changes and daily fertilizers. I was very suprised by the healthy growth. Echinodorus radicans has finally made some emerse leaves!








Unfortunately one of the leaves of Hydrocleys Nymphoides hung out of the aquarium when I got home. In the last weeks water had begun leaking.. 
So my cabinet has some major damage mainly on the right side.. A new cabinet journey will start soon....  This time with waterproof MDF? I do like the look of the veneer.. Is there a way to make the veneer+MDF waterproof in the future? The cabinet is now supported with some logs..



 











Staurogene repens is now doing very well!


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## zozo (17 Aug 2018)

aquacoen said:


> Unfortunately one of the leaves of Hydrocleys Nymphoides hung out of the aquarium when I got home.



I know the problem..  Often experienced the same with floating plants.. Also a healthy leaf hanging over the rim can cause capilairy suction and spil water if the water is to close to the rim. A dead leaf as in your case will waterlogg and function as a syphon, same as grandmas trick to feed plants during vacation with a wool thread hanging from a bucket with water into the plant pot. Than the wool thread soaks up water and syphons the water slowly into the pot. Also once experienced it at a somewhat dificult to see and reach tanks back panel corner with growing algae and moss to the glass behind overhanging plants. The algae and moss grew out of the water till the tank top rim. Capilairy suction spilled water over the tanks rim on the table, it also created a salt deposit build up in that corner, soaking up water. At first i thought the tank was leaking, it always drained the tank 30mm bellow the rim than stopped. Gravity? After rubbing that corner clean problem was solved.

Lesson learned, if you leave the tank a few weeks, put a little less water in it..  It prevent leaves from hanging over.


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## Nubias (18 Aug 2018)

Looking great


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## MJF90 (18 Aug 2018)

What a great natural looking scape!


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## DutchMuch (18 Aug 2018)

God darnet thats the best amazon scape ive ever seen
so clean
ty for posting.


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## aquacoen (21 Aug 2018)

Thanks a lot for your kind words!



zozo said:


> Lesson learned, if you leave the tank a few weeks, put a little less water in it..  It prevent leaves from hanging over.


Amen! 




Hydrocleys nymphoides is making a flower. Though it looks like the bud is not going to open.. After two days it still looks the same.. Patience?


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## zozo (21 Aug 2018)

aquacoen said:


> Hydrocleys nymphoides is making a flower. Though it looks like the bud is not going to open.. After two days it still looks the same.. Patience?



And than look quickly, the flowers only live a day..


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## aquacoen (21 Aug 2018)

I was also wondering. Is it normal that the submersed leaves turn yellow and die off now that Echinodorus radicans is making emersed leaves?


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## zozo (21 Aug 2018)

aquacoen said:


> View attachment 117335
> 
> I was also wondering. Is it normal that the submersed leaves turn yellow and die off now that Echinodorus radicans is making emersed leaves?



I guess it probably is normal, my  Echinodorus hybrid did the excact same thing, it doesn't grow both forms from the same rosette it is either emersed or submersed. And once emersed it triggers the plant to go entirely to emersed form.. Not sure if it is the same for all but they are rather remarkable plants.. I have sevral of the same growing in different conditions of depth. And they sense water depth, the plant growing in shallower water makes shorter leafstems and grows denser and less tall.  The one standing not in water at all stays rather short with much smaller leaves and close to the substrate.


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## zozo (22 Aug 2018)

Today i saw a perfect capilairy suction example, took a picture..




Almost there, but yet not spilling.


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## Lee iley (22 Aug 2018)

Very nice scape. Looking really good.


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## aquacoen (3 Sep 2018)

In my last post I already noticed some BBA on some of my wood and leaves. In the last week I saw it growing and spreading.. It's only growing in the left side of my aquarium.
Two weeks ago I increased my lighting with one hour (also increased CO2 with one hour)
I also started with running the lights for 3,5 hours on 5% so I could enjoy my aquarium a bit longer with very weak light. (not sure this is a good idea..)

I did some reading and I think the BBA can relate to changing my light scheme and also debris getting piled up at this side of the aquarium (red arrow). I manually removed most of the BBA now including most of the debris. I also increased my CO2 a little bit.

(Still doing a 30% water change every Sunday.
CO2 is running two hours before the lights turn on and stops two hours before the lights go out.
My Twinstar is running this scheme for the last two weeks:
0%    09:30
70% 10:00-16:00
5%   16:30-20:00)

I'm not making any more changes and let everything rest this week and see how things evolve..


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## Marc Davis (3 Sep 2018)

If the bba comes back, get some excel or glutaraldehyde product and blast it directly (needle and syringe) with the recommended dose. It kills the area directly effected and then the water column does the rest. Managed to rid my tank fully of bba in 2 weeks doing this and has never returned.


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (3 Sep 2018)

Boiling also work if practical...


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## aquacoen (8 Sep 2018)

I'm thinking about growing some emersed plants just above the watersurface of my aquarium.
I have 15cm between my Twinstar and my aquarium. I don't know if the light (70%power) will be too bright for growing emersed plants? The Twinstar doesn't give very much heat because it's LED..

So far I came up with 'Pleurothallis grobyi' and 'Barbosella dusenii' because they are from Brazil,
just as the rest of my aquarium plants and because they stay relatively small. Does anyone have experience with these orchids? Or can you recommand other species that will thrive well with high humidity and bright light (from Brazil..)?

My idea is to add some extra spiderwood on the right side of my aquarium so I have more branches sticking out where I can grow emersed plants on. Then I will secure some 'hygrolon' (or should I use Epiweb?) on top of the spiderwood, partly submersed so it can take up water and stay moist. On top of this I secure the plants above the water surface with some nylon thread??

Maybe add some Tillandsia species from Brazil? I think they won't need any Hygrolon or Epiweb because they only need humidity? Just attach them to the wood with some nylon thread?

@zozo
I allready read some interesting things on glassboxgardeners.com
I was hoping you can help me out on this one


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (8 Sep 2018)

Take a look at botanygeek otherwise known as James Wong. He has some brilliant info on this subject.

http://www.janeperrone.com/on-the-ledge/2018/6/27/episode-55-a-visit-to-james-wong


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## zozo (8 Sep 2018)

Shops with nice collections i have very good experience with..

https://www.dutchrana.nl/product-categorie/terrarium-planten/orchideeen/

https://www.dutchrana.nl/product-categorie/terrarium-planten/bromelias-tillandsias/

https://www.araflora.nl/

https://orchideeen-shop.nl/orchideeen.html

Growing orchids long term outside a greenhouse is a challange in my experience.. I also strugle a lot with.. Especialy Orchids need a lot of care and atention as epiphyte above an open top tank. I don't know if i can be of much help.  Indeed on glassboxgardeners.com the Journal from Jason about the scape he made in  memory of his father is a very good guide. There he used a lot of Orchids and tillandsias on epiweb/hygrolon.. Seems to work pretty good.. I have no personal experience with that stuff, never bought it. I actualy wouldn't know where to buy it in the Netherlands, it is hard to find.


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## aquacoen (11 Sep 2018)

@Matt @ ScapeEasy Thanks!
@zozo Thanks a lot for your reply. I think I'll give it a go next week! I found a german webshop that sells hygrolon. Not too expensive.. Worth a try!


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## zozo (11 Sep 2018)

aquacoen said:


> I found a german webshop that sells hygrolon. Not too expensive.. Worth a try!


Do you have a link?...


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## aquacoen (12 Sep 2018)

zozo said:


> Do you have a link?...



https://www.roellke-orchideen.de/index.php/component/jshopping/product/view/18/271?Itemid=0
I've sent you a PM


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## Edvet (12 Sep 2018)

Marcel, if you decide to get some and the shippingcosts are high i can take one too and split the costs.


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## zozo (12 Sep 2018)

Edvet said:


> Marcel, if you decide to get some and the shippingcosts are high i can take one too and split the costs.



Good to know Ed.. I'll definitively keep that in mind.. As you know i live a stone throw from the German border.. I happen to have a delivery/pickup address accross, to avoid the international shipping costs.


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## aquacoen (15 Sep 2018)

The first flower of Hydrocleys nymphoides did not make it. This is the second bud. It looks like there is a leaf and a flower in this bud..? Let's hope something beautiful comes out!




Overall the tank is doing good. Still have some BBA at some places and some leaves still look a bit yellow. Started this week with dosing a bit more fertilizers..




Still waiting for my insurance to pay out, hopefully I can fix my aquarium cabinet soon and add more fish in the future..




Did some trimming so Myriophyllum mattogrossense get's more light. I think my tank looks a bit too 'grassy' right now.




Front view with Staurogyne repens on the left and Sagittaria subulata and Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis on the right.




Staurogyne repens is a very grateful plant


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (15 Sep 2018)

Tank looks absolutely fantastic


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## CooKieS (19 Sep 2018)

Very natural looking tank. Well done with S.Repens, never had success with it


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## CooKieS (19 Sep 2018)

aquacoen said:


> Thanks for your reply AndreiD. About a week ago I made an adjustment. Now my co2 runs from 08:00 till 13:30 and my lights at 70% from 10:00 till 15:00.
> My dropchecker is green when the light turns on and is light-green when lights turn off. Stauro is making new leaves, so fingers crossed



May I ask where did you buy the dimmer for the twinstar? Thanks


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## aquacoen (20 Sep 2018)

CooKieS said:


> Very natural looking tank. Well done with S.Repens, never had success with it


Thanks! Yes in the beginning I had troubles with it. Since I run my co2 2 hours before my lights turn on it grows very nice.  




CooKieS said:


> May I ask where did you buy the dimmer for the twinstar? Thanks


In this topic you can find more information on how to connect the Twinstar to the TC420/TC421:
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/tc420-421.50781/page-2 

I bought it from AliExpress.


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## Carlos Mocho (10 Oct 2018)

Lovely natural tank. I will learn from this sharing. Thank you!


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## aquacoen (19 Oct 2018)

My emersed plant project is still in the making.. Growing some plants for it on my window sill.. I'll keep you posted.

Next week I want to start with EI dosing.

Now I dose ADA Green Brighty Neutral K and Green Brighty Mineral both 4ml every morning. Plants are growing well, but I find the ADA fertilizers quite expensive. And luckily I find reading about the EI method very interesting the last weeks. I also want to experiment with the amount of Fe (iron). (In the CSM+B trace mix the amount of Fe is quite lean according to the EI method..)

My plan:

50% weekly waterchanges (monday)
after waterchange directly dose macro for the whole week
the next day micro for the rest of the week (tuesday)
I'm still wondering if dosing once a week is a good idea..





I bought two laboratory bottles for the macro and micro solutions (500ml) enough for two months stock solution. And I have a 60ml syringe for each of them (the amount needed for the weekly dose).

It's not easy for me to dose every day in a weekly scheme. Is it better to dose everything at once? (macro directly after WC and micro the next day)
Or should I try to dose daily, and when I'm for instance not home for two days, add the remaining amount the next day? So my 60 ml syringe is always empty by the end of the dosing week?

That's the part of the EI-method I find difficult to understand... Why is regularity in dosing important? Is it important? Is it to reset the PPM of each element to the needed amount every day? I would say if there are enough nutrients in the water for the whole week than it would not matter...? (If the amount of nutrients supplied are sufficient for the weekly uptake rates by the plants..)

*Macro:* (480ml stock solution, 60ml each week)
*N* KNO3      16 grams
*P* KH2PO4  1,5 grams
*K* K2SO4     7 grams   (I bought K2SO4 already before reading that increasing the amount of KNO3 is also sufficient to increase K, so I'll just use it? Are there any disadvantages using K2SO4?)

*Micro:* (480ml stock solution, 60ml each week)
CSM+B   2,5 grams
Fe           1,5 grams


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## Edvet (19 Oct 2018)

I think you can dose it all at once, that's the idea behind EI, have all available in ample amounts. Micro's the day after is fine too. Giving more smaller doses could be beneficial for the fish (arguably, smaller osmotic pressure differences).


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## zozo (19 Oct 2018)

When i started with dry salts i also made a stocking solution at first.. After the first batch was empty i thought why waste the time and space to do it like that? It much less hassle to dose directly to the tank. than i do not need to store the dry salts and the made solution and store that next to it. All you need is a little 0.01 gram juwelry weight scale and a little scoop. And use a fert calculator like bellow.

http://theaquatools.com/fertilization-calculator/
or
https://rotalabutterfly.com/nutrient-calculator.php

I use the aqautools calculator and for my tank it looks like this.




I have 4 glass jars with the salts and a little scoop 1/4 Teaspoon /1.25ml filled is +/- 1.7 gram of each salt.. Once i know my scoop, i don't realy need the weight scale anymore. So i do a 50% water change weekly, after that i put 1 scoop KNO3, 2 scoops K2SO4, 2 scoops Magnesium and a pinch KH2PO4. in a litre jar, stir it and slowly add it to the tank. While filling it up again. A day later i add the micros..

Than you can see at the bottom of the above picture what i added in total.  I dose a bit low at the NO3 side because my tap water comes with a > 20 N. Since this is from an anual report and if this slightly fluctuates i still have more than i need with a > 10 N in the tank. For micro's i dose Profito for now, this also adds a bit K on top. But K never aint a problem you actualy can't realy overdose it, it's harmless.

There are no real dissadvantages.. Other than salt build up at the glass/water surface and some salt build up on the older lily floater leaves. For the glass i take a soft cloth dipped in vinegar and during a water change i clean it off the glass. Salt build up on plant leaves can be prevented to daily spray the leaves with demineralized water.  And or gently wipe them clean with a soft paint brush.

This is my fert regime for about 2 years now, it works a charme and don't feel the need to change it..  I actualy experienced making stock solutions as a disadvantage, rather wasted space and wasted energy..


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## aquacoen (29 Oct 2018)

Thanks for your replies!

@zozo Interesting to see that you also add magnesium.

In most EI index guides I didn't read anything about the calcium/magnesium/potassium ratio (2: 1: 0.5).
On this website I found a good explanation:
The corellation between calcium, magnesium and potassium


> *The ratio*
> 
> Both magnesium and calcium are nutrients for aquatic plants. Magnesium is similar to the important plant nutrient iron responsible for the formation of chlorophyll. It is consumed very little by the aquarium plants, but should be available in sufficient quantities (over 10 mg / l is recommended). In aquaristic practice, ratios of calcium to magnesium of about 3:1 to 4:1 have been found to be effective. A fairly modern approach is even an even lower ratio of only 2:1. Since many metal ions dissolved in the water compete for the nutrient uptake of aquatic plants, the macronutrient potassium (K) is added in the calculation. It is recommended that the content of magnesium should be higher than that of potassium. This is termed as the calcium/magnesium/potassium ratio, which ideally moves in the range of 2: 1: 0.5.



I'm still wondering if adding magnesium is a good idea since I have fairly hard tapwater.
The anual report of my tapwater is saying that I have:

Ca 55 mg/l
Mg 6 mg/l
and a total hardness of 9.1°D

Since a much lower total hardness is often recommanded for a good plant growth (3-5°D?), I'm wondering if I still should add magnesium.
With the EI I'm dosing now my water contains 12 mg/l potassium.

(2)   Calcium       55 mg/l
(1)   Magnesium   6 mg/l>adjust to 25 mg/l
(0.5)   Potassium   12 mg/l

To get close to the ratio of 2:1:0.5 I could adjust my magnesium level to 25 mg/l.
But that would mean that my total hardness reaches 13.4°D?
Are my calculations and thoughts right? RO water is not an option for me, would like to hear your thoughts!


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## zozo (29 Oct 2018)

I do not realy follow reports and measurments, i mainly look at my plants as an index.. Search the forum for Darrels Duckweed index. It aint only about duckweed any easy growing floating plant can do or other emersed growing plants that are fed via the tankwater.  This is much more reliable than following anual water reports from the water company.

For example my company tells me i have an average of 6ppm Mg from the tap. That should say it's enough... But most fast growing plants i grow tell me other wise and show the need more. 1 the water report is not correct,which is most likely at times, it constantly fluctuates or 2 the plants consume it faster than i can add with water changes from the tap. I don't know and actualy i do not care.  With adding 3ppm = 3mg/l extra on top to keep most plants i grow happy.

But than also keep in mind it aint equal for all plants, some require more Mg than others.. These are your weakest links. I also have an aqaurium i absolutely do not fertilize over the water column. This tank only grows anubias, Bolbitis and a syngonium growing emersed. The syngonium grows like a rocket with what it gets from the tap and the fish. The 2 others grow so slow they also do not mind. Also still have a emersed Echinodorus growing in that tank that needs a root tab now and then. This is the only plant showing deficiency.

I have no idea where you got the 25mg/l Magnesium. Adding 2 or 3 mg/l is sufficient if you add. 1mg/l equals 1ppm and 1 gram Mg on 100L water equals about 1ppm.. 1 or 3 mg/l this doesn't realy affect the Gh that much.. And plants requiring less than you add do not suffer from it.

So as said to know excactly how much you need to add of all to make all plants equaly happy is not easy. Simply because of the different requirments in differnt plants in differend circumstances. Not to go bonkers and panic over checking values i simply do not use those numbers anymore. Personaly i have sufficient succes with adding enough ferts (maybe slightly more than you need) on a weekly basis A la Redfield Ratio / EI and reset the tank weekly with a water change before i add ferts again. I do not care about Ph and not about Gh nor kH.. I keep averagely safe and just watch my plants.. If they look sufficiently happy i'm happy.

That's my take on it..  Take it easy.. Don't drive yoursef mad with scientific formulas.. Unless you like it, it definitively is fun to know, not a need to know.. But than you need to wait for someone else to guid you through that..  Not that i don't want to, i know there much more knowledgable people here doing a beter job explaing it..


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## aquacoen (29 Oct 2018)

zozo said:


> That's my take on it..  Take it easy.. Don't drive yoursef mad with scientific formulas.. Unless you like it, it definitively is fun to know, not a need to know.. But than you need to wait for someone else to guid you through that..  Not that i don't want to, i know there much more knowledgable people here doing a beter job explaing it..



You are right, I shouldn't be too fixated on water parameters. For now I will work with EI and see how my plants respond.
I'm trying to understand how much and how many nutrients I should add to make a good start.
Maybe I'm trying too hard not to mess things up 

I do not have the MgSO4 yet, so I'll try the first two weeks without adding any of it.

I guess the best way is to try for myself, watch the plants grow and see if the minor changes I do have effect... thanks!


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## dw1305 (30 Oct 2018)

Hi all,





zozo said:


> Search the forum for Darrel's Duckweed index


Using floating, or emergent plants, as an indicator of nutrient status works because the plants "know" what is in the water. It doesn't seem as scientific as water testing, but it is a valid scientific method. You just need any quick growing plant with access to aerial CO2.





aquacoen said:


> With the EI I'm dosing now my water contains 12 mg/l potassium.
> 
> (2) Calcium 55 mg/l
> (1) Magnesium 6 mg/l>adjust to 25 mg/l
> (0.5) Potassium 12 mg/l


The tank looks pretty healthy, but adding a bit more magnesium isn't going to hurt if you have enough already. Magnesium and potassium deficiencies effect new leaves, because both elements are mobile within the plant, and the obvious symptom for both is yellowing chlorotic leaves, so you get a pretty instant greening response when you add them if they are deficient.

I don't know where the suggested Ca:Mg:K ratio come from as there isn't a scientific reference on the Aquasabi page.

I'm not convinced that the potassium (K) ratio should be so much lower than the levels of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). Plants need about as much potassium as nitrogen (N), and about 10 times more of those two macro-nutrients than they do of any of the other nutrients. Because you have a lot of calcium in the water, I'd definitely add some magnesium (as "Epsom salts") and carry on adding the potassium (K).

cheers Darrel


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## aquacoen (11 Nov 2018)

Thanks for your input Darrel. I added some magnesium. So far EI is really working for me. After two weeks I see better growth and Limnobium Laevigatum is making bigger and greener new leaves. I also notice a tiny bit more algae, especially on the glass. Next week I'll measure my NO3, maybe it's a little high since I introduced new inhabitants to my tank..

After quit a long search I managed to buy some Hyphessobrycon amapaensis (10x) and Nannostomus marginatus (6x). I also added more Otocinclus macrospilus (5x total). Since the oto's are with five instead of three their behaviour is less nervous..

I really like the dwarf pencilfish although mine are a form from Suriname or Guyana and not from Brazil.. close enough! 
The amapaensis look slightly underfed. For now I feed every day (frozen and flakes) and I'm considering to cultivate artemia.

Some photos of my new inhabitants:


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## CooKieS (12 Nov 2018)

Wow, lovely fishes and pictures, your tank is looking very natural in a good way, congrats.


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## DeepMetropolis (12 Nov 2018)

I love the fish combo works so well together! Nice that they are from Surinam.. Wanted to make a Surinam only tank cause my wife and me both have roots there.. I'm getting a pair of nannacara anomala next week..


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (18 Nov 2018)

Great tank and photos!! 

Nannacara anomala are amazing... I got a pair about 6 months ago and they steal the lime light in the tank for sure.


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## aquacoen (4 Dec 2018)

After two weeks of using dry salts I was very excited to see Limnobium laevigatum getting bigger and greener leaves.
Another two weeks later this what it looks like now:




LL has never been so sad looking.. The things that have changed in the last weeks are my water temperature (from 24C to 25C), I added the 20 new fishes mentioned in my earlier post and I turned on central heating in my living room this month.

Nevertheless my guess is that this is caused by a nutrient deficiency? What nutrients do you guys think I should add more after looking at the picture? Not only the leaves are in bad shape, but so are the roots. In the past the roots were over 15cm long..

Myriophyllum mattogrossense has started to rot and some stems got loose from the substrate.
This plant is not growing well since I planted because of poor CO2 distribution on that side of my tank and not enough light but now it's getting worse...

I also see that I have some mould in my micro stock solution. I'll make a new batch (halved) and store it in the fridge (I now store it in my aquarium cabinet).


----------



## Edvet (4 Dec 2018)

Doesn''t look like a deficiency to me, more like rot or damage. How are the roots?


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## aquacoen (4 Dec 2018)

Edvet said:


> Doesn''t look like a deficiency to me, more like rot or damage. How are the roots?


The roots are now 1cm long, and two months ago over 15cm long.. Is it possible that my fish are eating the roots?
What can cause rotting floaters? Or did I damage them with water changes? (I use a watering can with a sprinkler)


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## Edvet (5 Dec 2018)

I suspect eating damage. Misting never hurt mine in open tanks, though waterdrops can cause damage in closed environments.


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## dw1305 (5 Dec 2018)

Hi all,





aquacoen said:


> Or did I damage them with water changes? (I use a watering can with a sprinkler)


It maybe drops of water on the leaves causing lensing and light damage to the leaves.

cheers Darrel


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## aquacoen (6 Dec 2018)

Thanks for your thoughts on the Limnobium. For now I'll just be more careful with water changes and see what happens. 



 
This week I prepared two pieces of spiderwood for some emersed growth. On one piece I used the earlier mentioned 'hygrolon' in combination with christmas moss and a Peperomia species I got from @zozo ,thanks again! On the other piece I didn't use hygrolon but only some christmass moss and a small orchid (Pleurothallis grobyi). The piece with the orchid on it is on a dry spot and not directly under my aquarium light. For now I think I'll spray the orchid every other day. Any thoughts? 

I'm making some changes in my scape, when things are settled in I'll make some photo's, I hope this is going to work


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## Ady34 (30 Dec 2018)

Nice journal.
Do you know what ‘fixed’ your staurogyne repens issue?
I unfortunately found that the marginatus pencilfish were jumpers in an open topped aquarium, hope yours have been ok? The fish in your tank do look awesome though.
Cheerio,
Ady.


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## aquacoen (30 Dec 2018)

Ady34 said:


> Nice journal.
> Do you know what ‘fixed’ your staurogyne repens issue?
> I unfortunately found that the marginatus pencilfish were jumpers in an open topped aquarium, hope yours have been ok? The fish in your tank do look awesome though.
> Cheerio,
> Ady.



I think changing my CO2 levels (2 hours before lights turn on) and better flow fixed my staurogyne repens issue.. Although I noticed some spontaneous 'melting?' this week in one spot. There was a lot of debris piled up underneath.. I'll update soon with some pictures.

So far I luckily had no jumping pencilfish. I really like their behaviour, I still have five left of the six I bought. Three of them are probably females cause they are slightly bigger and look kinda stocky. Unfortunately breeding them will be difficult because my tap water is fairly hard.. Maybe one day I will start with RO water..


----------



## Ady34 (30 Dec 2018)

Pleased the pencils are staying in the tank. Some people find stauro easy, I’ve not really had much luck with it.


----------



## aquacoen (1 Feb 2019)

Time for an update!
After some struggles with EI dosing, (especially micro dosing; I now dose 2x10ml profito a week...the powders didn't work for me) plants are growing well. Still have some BBA that I spot dose with easy carbo and remove manually. Staurogyne repens is growing back after some melting occurred; still wondering why, might had to do something with bad CO2 distribution. (I shortened my inlet filter-hose and now have better flow.. still wonder why I didn't notice this earlier! My outlet filter-hose is longer so I have better CO2 uptake with my inline diffusor). Fish are doing great. I feed them live artemia once a week and frozen food every other day.




I removed this bad boy out of my tank to make place for some red plants! (Helanthium bolivianum ´angustifolius´)




Took out a lot of roots as well!




I also thought my tank could you use some red colours in it so I decided to add Alternanthera rosaefolia. Can also be found in Brazil!




I'm still working on my emersed plant section but it is finally taking shape! Here you see Tillandsia tricholepis, Tillandsia aeranthos, Peperomia hoffmannii(?) (I got from @zozo !), Pleurothallis tripterantha hanging on my Twinstar and Pleurothallis grobyi in the back. The orchids are not growing very fast. I now spray them with water twice a week so the roots can dry out in between watering. Pleurothallis tripterantha is not directly underneath my aquarium light and seems to do it better than the grobyi..




Since Mimosa pudica didn't like the conditions in my living room, I decided to plant it in the emersed section of my aquarium. It's now doing quite well.




Alternanthera rosaefolia is starting to fill up the background.




I really enjoy my pencil fishes, they like to take shelter underneath the leaves of Hydrocleys nymphoides.
They also seem to really like the roots of my Limnobium laevigatum, not only for shelter but also for food...!












Little Photoshop experiment: In this picture I combined two pictures: one of the front glass and one of the emersed section.


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## DutchMuch (1 Feb 2019)

Very nice, and naturally clean. Love it!


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## zozo (1 Feb 2019)

Looking realy nice!.. 



aquacoen said:


> Peperomia hoffmannii(?)



I remeber buying it long time ago as Peperomia rotundifolia (Zwanenkruid)..


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## aquacoen (12 Apr 2019)

Time for an update! As you guys can see I finally have my new cabinet. This time made out of local elm wood. I'm very happy with the result. 



 The triangular composition I had in mind is getting shape.. Still fighting black beard algae. Since I'm dosing EI it got worse. Still don't want to blame the EI method so I'm thinking of buying a filter with more capacity for more flow. Anyone can think of a filter with more capacity that fit's a 12/16 mm hose? I'm currently running an Eheim Filter Experience 250T, with 700L/H.
At first I'm going to replace the membrane of my inline atomizer since it's now over a year old. Do these things wear out or can you clean them with something?
I'm now spot treating the BBA with 1ml liquid carbon every morning.. let's see if I can get these algae under control!




This is my latest invention.. I call it the 'aquarium stretcher'  In about two weeks I will have to move my current setup to our new home, and I have to go two stairs down, so this will help a little I hope. My idea is to transfer the water and fishes in jerry cans and buckets and transport the whole scape without water.. Any tips are very welcome!


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## zozo (12 Apr 2019)

For moving, take smaller chunks of Tempex and fill up the tank with that, it holds the hardscape in place. 

The stretcher is a nice build.. Good idea..


----------



## CooKieS (12 Apr 2019)

Wow, I love your room! The cabinet looks awesome and fit your floor, would love to have the same for my 60p! 

For the filter, you could try the jbl e901, it's rated 900l/h.
Or buy an small eheim compact 300 to have more flow.

Got bba on mine too, this thing loves to grow on Wood.  Spot dosing works great. As long as it's not growing on plants, I would't dare. It seems to step back when I reduce my iron dosage.

Cheers


----------



## dw1305 (12 Apr 2019)

Hi all,





aquacoen said:


> This time made out of local elm wood.


I like that, being Elm (_Ulmus_ spp.) it shouldn't warp if it gets wet either.

cheers Darrel


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## TBRO (12 Apr 2019)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,I like that, being Elm (_Ulmus_ spp.) it shouldn't warp if it gets wet either.
> 
> cheers Darrel



Yes, I seem to recall the Romans used Elm for water pipes.



Beautiful tank and cabinet. I really appreciate the emergant growth. 

Perhaps add a Ehime skim? Will add flow and could be hidden behind the wood.


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## Tim Harrison (12 Apr 2019)

Lovely scape, and nice Scandi style interior


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## dw1305 (12 Apr 2019)

Hi all,





TBRO said:


> I seem to recall the Romans used Elm for water pipes.


I didn't know that, I knew it was used for water wheels.

Both the tank, and the grain on the doors of the cabinet, are lovely.

cheers Darrel


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## aquacoen (13 Apr 2019)

Thanks for the tips and kind comments! 
I'll take a look at an Eheim skimmer, sounds like a good idea, thanks!


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## LfcFan1977 (13 Apr 2019)

I wouldn't have thought it be worth taking the water with you but I suppose it could help reduce stress.
I think it's more important to try and keep the filter bacteria alive by keeping it wet.

You could ask your LFS for fish bags and a polystyrene box. Maidenhead were more than happy to do that for me when we moved.

At first I thought the "Aquarium Stretcher" was a jig and you were going to put longer front and rear panels in  
You could do a dummy run with it to insure you can get around corners. Looks fairly heavy though.


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