# Hi ! newbie with new tank and confused !



## Pysgodyn (20 Jun 2017)

Hi All,

I'm new to all this, so while I've read stuff (books & online), I'm unsure of a few things. Advice would be great !  I'm Trying for a low tech planted temperate community tank, so no CO2 injection, and fish like WCMM, zebra danios etc.

I have a stock Juwel 110L tank  (80*30*40),  so it has the glued-in internal filter (with new filter media) and a 400 l/m  pump.     Stock 100W heater and dual T8 lighting (1 daylight, 1 warm; 18W).

So I've put in some tropica clay substrate (1cm) with a black small gravel covering (3cm ish),  some Mopani wood (soaked in warm water only for a day, so still leaching tannins) and a small bit of (washed) slate that I had knocking around.

I've zip-ted the wood together (not 100% sure if that plastic is aquarium safe) and ziptied(!) some anubius to it.
I filled it (with tap conditioner) and planted a few bits and pieces on Friday and have been dosing with fluval cycle stuff.   Other plants include vallis, cabomba and bacopa at the back.  then 2 things I forgot the name of !

So I'm 4 days in.    The tank is nearish a shady north window.   I don't have any plant specific fert's or other chemicals.    
I measured a 7.6 ph, medium ish hardness, a little nitrate.
No fish yet,  but I have 4 young white cloud minnos in another tank waiting to go in asap (along with the tiny filter and probably at least the top layer the substrate of their current little tank.)

Questions...  

(1) The water circulation from the filter pump isn't very strong.... should I put a power head in, if so where in the tank ?      (maybe a koralia nano 600 or a ehiem 650, the latter could be more flexible, but a harsher flow?)
I think the fish would enjoy more current.
I believe that the plants may need more current too ?

(2) Do I need to go buy plant ferts now ?  if so what ?

(3) It seems that I may not want to have strong oxygenation given the plants, so no venture or air stones ?

(4)  should I expect plants to re-adjust and thus look a bit ill ? (ie lose some leaves)

(5)  Could I put the WCMM in early to help the filter cycle ?  they seem to me to be a fairly low bio load ?  they seem quite hardy so should survive the cycling ?

I'd try to post a picture of the setup later ! 

Any answers to any of these questions much appreciated.  (I fear I will end up with a tank of dead fish and rotting vegetation as I'm so clueless. )

G.


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## Tim Harrison (20 Jun 2017)

Hi and welcome to UKAPS

1.  You could put a powerhead in to increase circulation and if you position it appropriately it could also help with surface agitation to increase oxygenation.

2.  I always recommend using fertz with soil since plants can folia feed as well as uptake nutrients through their roots; it makes horticultural  sense to feed both sites.
You can use dry salts or ready mixed products. Your tank is small enough to make it economically sensible to use ready mixed. Use about 1/10 to 1/5 the recommended dose. TNC Complete is good value for money.

3. See 1 above.

4.  There usually is some melt while plants get used to new conditions, just stay on top of tank husbandry and remove DOM to help prevent organic build up and algae.

5.  Don't put any fish or critters in until your nitrites and ammonia are reading pretty much zero. The ammonia given off by the substrate, and the bacteria on plant roots etc will be enough to inoculate your tank and filter, and start the cycling process.

Planting as densely as possible will make your life easier especially whilst the tank matures. Floating quick growing stems will also help, as will using floaters.

If you haven't already, check out the Tutorials section for more info and ongoing reference.


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## AverageWhiteBloke (20 Jun 2017)

Only to add, if low tech planted is your goal don't be afraid of reducing the amount of time the lights are on either. Most people think light is the key and plants love lights but so do algae. Start of with maybe 5-6 hours if you're getting some sunlight and slowly raise if no problems rear their heads. Timers are handy because you can usually raise the timing quarter of an hour at a time.


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## Konsa (20 Jun 2017)

Hi
U can use purigen to clear the tannins from the water
Regards Konsa


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## kadoxu (20 Jun 2017)

Hi and welcome!

I second @Tim Harrison 's answers.

Also, I wouldn't add any creatures to the tank for at least 6 weeks. After that you should add fish slowly to allow the bacteria in the filter to adapt to the new bio-load. 

Cycling in planted tanks is a bit different from what we usually read in most websites/books, as plants can absorb a lot of ammonia & nitrites present in the water. This means you may not see high levels when testing the water (specially if you have fast growing plants), but they will still be present in the water and can stress (if not harm/kill) the fish.

One of the most important things to learn in this hobby is patience...


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## SuperJam (20 Jun 2017)

Hi and welcome  look forward to your pics ... from your post you have already been doing your research which will always make it easier in the long run, great advice already here, so I would just second the wait to add live stock until the tank is cycled.


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## Pysgodyn (21 Jun 2017)

Thanks for the advice and welcome All !  
I'll try to post a picture tonight.   You can help me identify a few plants......

I'll look to get some liquid fert.  and give low doses.  
Do any of these 'liquid carbon' formulations make a difference for a low tech tank?  

Would fewer water changes help the tank mature/cycle in it's plants but no fish phase ?
Seems 10-15% a week is recommended for a planted tank,  unless water tests etc. suggests more is needed.
Would larger water changes (25%) be an idea when I first add fish ?

The filter has a small carbon element in it at the moment, partly to see if it might help the water colour (tannins) stay fairly clear - I don't mind it being slightly coloured, but don't want it to look like tea !  
Would the Carbon tend to strip the water of plant nutrients ?   esp. if I use a liquid fert ? 
I read that you should replace carbon regularly as it can start to release trapped matter when old.
I partly hope to not need to use it.  

I already have been keeping lighting very low, (a few hours in the evening) as I'm very wary of algae blooms, especially at the start while the tank is settling in.   My little tank with the 4 WCMM had a full on algae bloom a little while ago. (I may buy some algae scraper tools)
Would these liquid carbon additives help moderate algae in the first weeks ?

G.


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## Konsa (21 Jun 2017)

Hi
Liquid carbon is an effective algae killer.But having said that  is not a miracle additive and not effective against all.It does the job when spot treating hardscape and some plants but there are some plants that are sensitive towards it and will melt.Adding liquid carbon also changes the tank to not being not so low tech as the demand for nutrients increases.I will stay away from it till U get more experience.
The water change regime for planted tanks is actually 50%plus per week.The 10 -15% is more for shrimp only tanks.Having said that 25% is not enough volume to change for a new tank.U shold go for 50% plus per week as a minimum.More frequent the better .Good cleaning of debris and large wc   is the best way to keep algae at bay.
Regards Konsa


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## kadoxu (21 Jun 2017)

I have never had a low tech tank, but I would advise to do a bit of research about "light period siesta" and it's benefits regarding CO2 in low tech tanks.

Also, water change (WC) schedule in a planted tank should be something like this:

Week 1
50% WC daily

Week 2
50% WC every other day

Weeks 3 & 4
2 weekly x 50% WC

Week 5 & after
1 weekly 50% WC


As for the Juwel internal filter, I got a Juwel Rio 240 this week and I'm already trying to find the best way to remove it... from a few reviews I've seen, it can get pretty messy and it's really hard to clean the casing properly.


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## ian_m (21 Jun 2017)

kadoxu said:


> As for the Juwel internal filter, I got a Juwel Rio 240 this week and I'm already trying to find the best way to remove it... from a few reviews I've seen, it can get pretty messy and it's really hard to clean the casing properly.


Cut off using a knife blade inserted between the glass and filter.

Remove as much as possible silicone using a knife then use silicone eater to remove the left over silicone. Rinse thoroughly...add fish...done.
http://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-sealant-remover-100ml/88987

Leaves the glass & plastic spotless.

I glued mine back in using JBL aquatic silicone. That was in 2003 odd. Only on last year or two has it come loose, glue stuck to glass but not plastic.


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## Konsa (21 Jun 2017)

Hi all.
I am running couple of low techs for a while.
I will advice against a siesta as this may has its advantages as CO2 is conserned but also causes constant fluctuations in CO2 and all the algae related problems like bba and staghorn.In my oppinion there isn't much point to flap about CO2 thats why is low tech.One continous light period with sufficient surface agitation providing good gas exchange with low but constant CO2 levels is much easier manageable for unexperienced aquarist.
Regards Konsa


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## Pysgodyn (21 Jun 2017)

hi again,

OK so maybe change more water than i thought. 

I intend to keep the internal filter.  i might consider a slightly larger impeller. 
i do want more water movement in the tank,  but hard to know how much and what type of pump. 

i have poor pictures, what do you think the two  plants are in the close up ? 

also given the photo, where might you suggest i locate an extra pump ?  i've read that flow through plants might help them, if not too fierce. 

 i don't know if any local shops have any different plants, i might have a look again friday. 

g.


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## Pysgodyn (21 Jun 2017)

following up from tim's post, any advice about floating plants ?  i'd want hardy and ok at 18-20 deg with low co2. 

if i've understood things, less light = less growth = less nutritional demand = less co2 needed ?
Also,  fluctuating co2,  high nitrates/phosphate + lots of light / sunlight = algae ?

cheers all, time to go back to the garden with beer and snooze in the sun. 

g.


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## AverageWhiteBloke (21 Jun 2017)

Pysgodyn said:


> if i've understood things, less light = less growth = less nutritional demand = less co2 needed ?
> Also, fluctuating co2, high nitrates/phosphate + lots of light / sunlight = algae ?



Yeah pretty much. Have a google for koralia for water movement, cheapers versions are available on online auction sites. Pretty much any floating plants will do ok at those temps but they are notorious for sucking ferts out of the water so keep them in check. Unfortunately it looks to me like some of the plants in your tank are land plants and will dissolve and die eventually. They only live under water for a certain amount of time.


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## Pysgodyn (22 Jun 2017)

AWB,   Thanks for the tip.  I think I discovered that at least the very small spiky plants in the foreground are likely to not last (no thanks maidenhead aquatics) can't remember the name at the moment.   
Do you know what the plants actually are in the 'what' picture ? 

I don't seem to have a wide range of plants available locally, so I'll need to investigate further. 

Yes, koralia nano's seem to get a good press.   My other thought was somthing like an ehiem 650, it will have a harsher flow (no idea if you can put a spray bar on I ?).  but I could also add a filter easily to it if I think I need more mechanical filtration.


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## AverageWhiteBloke (22 Jun 2017)

No problem buddy, a lot of fish stores do it because they look nice and some people buy them because they grow them sticking out the water. I would like to think the store sells them with good intentions but the cynic in me says they should tell you when you buy. Not 100% but I'm pretty sure the two circled are spider plants of some description. Better getting them out sooner rather than later, when they start to fall apart they add unnecessary waste to the tank.

For sure if you're going to pump some water might as well be something with a sponge in it and benefit from the extra bio filtration. Obviously this adds a bit of work cleaning it every now and again and adds bulky equipment to the tank. People tend to use Koralia or similar because they are small and easily hidden behind tall plants and only need the impeller cleaned every few weeks.


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## Konsa (22 Jun 2017)

Hi 
the fern looking ones behind the plant in the sircle on left is terrestrial too and also is better taken out or get a hanging baskets to grow them above water.
Regards Konsa


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## AverageWhiteBloke (22 Jun 2017)

Konsa said:


> Hi
> the fern looking ones behind the plant in the sircle on left is terrestrial too and also is better taken out or get a hanging baskets to grow them above water.
> Regards Konsa



Yeah, wasn't sure about those. They look very similar to some aquatic plants I've seen before but the picture wasn't clear enough.


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## Konsa (22 Jun 2017)

Like U said 
Them two plants are common on sale in many pet stores.

Regards Konsa


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## Pysgodyn (22 Jun 2017)

Hi Both,

OK, so the one's I wasn't sure about are probably doomed if left underwater ?!   

might they be OK with leaves out in the air, but roots in water (in a suspended pot even ?) - because the smaller tank I have with the WCMM in could be converted to a shrimp tank with these plants 'sticking out' ? 

I'll try to take a better picture of the fern like thing. 

I'll need to be more careful tomorrow when I'm keen to buy a few more plants, including some to swap out !
Crypts and java ferns  were noticeably not in the two shops I looked in, and seem to be classic low light low tech plants.  

Anyone know of a good place for plants south east wales ?  Cardiff, Newport-ish area. (or towns in the valleys above) 

not keen on mail-order as I can imagine a missed delivery being stuck in a delivery office for days and I end up with a box of twigs and rotten leaves. 

G.


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## AverageWhiteBloke (22 Jun 2017)

Yeah doomed under water mate but will grow emerged, sticking out of water in pots hung on side, that's why the LFS sell them. A lot of UKAPS sponsors sell plants in vitro (grown in hydroponic gel) so are safe in the post for a while but to be fair even the ones that aren't delivery is usually excellent anyway. Alternatively try the for sale swap wanted section of the forum if you can, can't remeber how many times you need to post in the forum before this opens up for you. Many people will send you cuttings if you cover the postage charges. 
I'll keep in touch, me tank is probably due a good clipping out in the next couple of weeks. Good thing about getting cuttings from UKAPS members is they tend to be in good condition, they are getting rid because they have too many flourishing in their tanks.


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## AverageWhiteBloke (22 Jun 2017)

Is city aquatics near you in cardiff? I've mail ordered from them before and found them very helpful. I think they do plants.


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## AverageWhiteBloke (22 Jun 2017)

Also The Green Machine in Wrexham, not sure if they still have a shop you can walk into or have gone purely online these days. Bit of a trek for you but well worth taking a look at some of the scapes there for some inspiration. Make a day of it. I bought my ADA tank down there and the guy asked if I wanted to come and pick it up so I guess you can still walk in.


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## swackett (22 Jun 2017)

Pysgodyn said:


> My other thought was somthing like an ehiem 650, it will have a harsher flow (no idea if you can put a spray bar on I ?).  but I could also add a filter easily to it if I think I need more mechanical filtration.



As far as filtration goes the rule of thumb seems to be 10 x your water volume, so for you about 1000 litres per hour.   I have a 125 Litre tank and use a Eheim Pro 3 thermo filter which outputs just over 1000 lph.

When you say Eheim 650 I assume you are talking about the Eheim 650 powerhead?


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## Pysgodyn (26 Jun 2017)

a little update,  i have managed to get some java fern (was a pain to tie to the wood i alteady had in the tank) and sword plants.   the little green thing i had has melted, and another little sword like plant is looking poorly.   some other plants are growing ok-ish, apart from the vallis which isn't looking too perky.

so do i need to add a 'full fertiliser' ?  or try a 'trace elements' fertiliser ?  i have the lights on about 5.5 hours. don't want a mega algae eruption. 

i can also see some slimeyness on a few bits of the wood,  doesn't look 'green', more creamy ?  not sure what that is.

i took the carbon out of the juwel filter and crammed some ceramic noodles in lower down under the green nitrate sponge which i will leave in i think. 

i'm changing about 25% water every 3-5 days.  too much faff to do larger volume changes. a little bit of nitite showinh up so i hope there is some bac. development.    

still think the circulation is poor, but can't decide on which sort of pump to add... i did see that the hydor nano pump is very small (900 lph i think)....  the ehein 650 ball powerhead looks way larger and maybe too big... but could have a second filter attached for more mechanical hoovering. 

i'm trying to keep an eyeout for java moss.  i don't want to try crypts untill the tank is more settled.  i saw 'pets at home' get the tropical 'packs'... i'm waiting for a fresh delivery at my local store... current stock looks ropey. 

my minnows are gettibg fed up waiting to move into their new home.


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## Pysgodyn (26 Jun 2017)

AverageWhiteBloke said:


> Also The Green Machine in Wrexham, .


 ha !  that place is 1/2 mile from where my folks live.... but 3+ hours from me.....  I'll call in next time I'm about,  but maybe a bit far to transport stuff back home.


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## dw1305 (27 Jun 2017)

Hi all,





Pysgodyn said:


> any advice about floating plants ? i'd want hardy and ok at 18-20 deg with low co2


Because they have aerial leaves CO2 availability isn't a problem for floating plants. Amazon Frogbit (_<"Limnobium laevigatum_">) is fine grown cool or Duckweed (_Lemna minor)._


Pysgodyn said:


> OK, so the one's I wasn't sure about are probably doomed if left underwater ?!


Yes they are. This happens all the time, and <"it really annoys me">.

As the others have said the "spiky plant" is _<"Dracaena sanderiana"> , _and the "ferny one"_ Selaginella wildenowii._


Pysgodyn said:


> might they be OK with leaves out in the air, but roots in water (in a suspended pot even ?)


Should be fine, _Selaginella_ doesn't like bright light, or low humidity, but _Dracaena_ spp. are pretty indestructible.

cheers Darrel


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## Pysgodyn (30 Jun 2017)

thanks darrel, very helpful.    

looks like i'm getting a bit of algae growth starting,  i'll give the glass a wipe.
the mopani wood is getting hairy...  not sure if i should remove it or not ?

i'll call by a lfs or two and see if i can find some more plants.  

i've ordered a circ. pump and some fert liquid, but i'll wait a bit before starting.

i'll keep up the 25% water changes as i'd be surrounded by buckets to do any more.  i guess that might help with the algae. 

G.


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## Pysgodyn (30 Jun 2017)

ok....  i've managed to put a hydor 900 circ. pump in the opposite back corner,  low down.  does a little bit, but not as strong as i expected.  i hope it will help the tank be healthier and get flow around the plants. i had to move two plants as they were not coping near the pump. 

not sure what is growing on the wood, white hairs it seems...  good or bad ? i attach some poor photos.  what do people think ?


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## Pysgodyn (30 Jun 2017)

another question,   one plant is unhappy,  its fairly central under the lamps,  green leaves slowly going yellow.  sorry for the very very poor photo. 

the tank is still cycling.


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## GHNelson (2 Jul 2017)

Pysgodyn said:


> ok....  i've managed to put a hydor 900 circ. pump in the opposite back corner,  low down.  does a little bit, but not as strong as i expected.  i hope it will help the tank be healthier and get flow around the plants. i had to move two plants as they were not coping near the pump.
> 
> not sure what is growing on the wood, white hairs it seems...  good or bad ? i attach some poor photos.  what do people think ?



This white growth will disappear in a few weeks....keep up the water changes!

The plant in the picture is not a true aquatic plant!
Best remove it and stick in a plant pot...... http://www.treadwellplants.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/plants.plantDetail/plant_id/59/index.htm
Cheers
hoggie


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## Pysgodyn (4 Jul 2017)

great, thanks Hoggie - i'll pot them up !       I've learned that my LFS are fairly crap with plant advice. So big thanks to ukaps !

I did pick up 2 more plants on the w/end,  they might also be a bad idea,  one looks like a dwarf vallis to me (but bigger than the ophiopogon)
and red cabomba - but that may fair poorly, esp given my comments below about light availability ?

the koralia 900  pump seems to be helping a lot to get the water moving around.

My anubias are looking happy, I have a new leaf.  
The cabomba however are having a mixed time.  the lower leaves on a few are rotting away, there is some growth at the top on most, but it's not really that fast.    (same with the bacopa, some growth and some rot)   (vallis not looking any worse thankfully - they didn't really have any roots when I got them)

Now, the difference with the above is that the former is a lot closer to the lamps (on wood) than the latter, so getting more light.
I know I should be careful with lighting levels with a new tank to avoid too much algae.  
But is this a hint that I may have too low light levels ? 

The hood has t2 T8 590mm tubes (18W),  which are of unknown age. 
I did put some white sticky plastic on the inside of the (otherwise black plastic) hood to give a bit of reflection.
I suspect new tubes might help a bit ?  also I've seen clip on reflectors for tubes, so I might try one on the 'warm tube' at the back. (seem rather over priced however)

Another water change tonight.  I'm doing 20-25% about every 3-4 days I think.
Testing suggests minimal if any ammonia,  some nitrites still.  I'm adding a little bit of 'fluval cycle' after the water changes.
I also took the carbon out of the filter.

G.


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## dw1305 (4 Jul 2017)

Hi all,





Pysgodyn said:


> another question,   one plant is unhappy,  its fairly central under the lamps,  green leaves slowly going yellow.  sorry for the very very poor photo.
> 
> the tank is still cycling.


It may be an _Ophiopogon.

These are also non-aquatic.
_
Cheers Darrel


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## AverageWhiteBloke (4 Jul 2017)

Fungus on the wood is nothing to worry about. Happens a lot with new bits in the tank. It should go away as the tank matures. Give it a little scrub with a tooth brush before your water change.

Sent from my STH100-2 using Tapatalk


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## Pysgodyn (5 Jul 2017)

Hi,     OK AWB, ta for that, I'll maybe buy a cheapo tooth brush or two if things start to look a bit unsightly,  the fungus filaments aren't growing very fast, or maybe have paused. Good to be a little bit more relaxed about them

I took out all the identified non-aquatic plants (thanks peeps!); I have potted up one or two as an experiment.

Added red cabomba,  put it in more towards the middle for max light. 
Also added the other new plants (that to me look a bit like short vallis).  hopefully they stay short-ish, as they are towards the front.

Tank now looks a bit chaotic as I've planted things as and when I've manage to find plants.
Still fancy getting some java moss.

The red cabomba has a lovely copper colour under the lights. Hope it can cope with my tank.

G.

not sure if I'll put in another bit of wood in (tall, with a moss 'coat'),  or look for some interesting rock (slate), or leave that bit of the tank with just plants.  Can you glue slate together ?


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## Tim Harrison (5 Jul 2017)

Pysgodyn said:


> Can you glue slate together ?


Sure, you can use clear silicon sealant just make sure it's safe for aquariums, and cured properly before use in your scape.


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## Pysgodyn (6 Jul 2017)

Right, My resolve crumbled and I put a couple of zebra danio's in the tank.   zero ammonia BUT a little bit of nitrite according to the test strip before the water change...  added more fluval cycle in after them.   Fish seemed perky and happy this morning, gave them a tiny bit of food -  hopefully they'll help the tank settle down and won't get too stressed out.   I'll  try to do a 25% water change every other day for a bit.

So I need to track down some 'safe silicone'.  I suspect I'll end up buying expensive stuff from the LFS.... seems everything gets costly once the magic word 'aquarium' is written on the packet 

One thing I wondered was if I was incorrectly planting the stem plants ?   I have a tropica substrate with gravel on top, and I've pushed the stems into the substrate rather than in the gravel on top ?   
Also I've wondered if I should have used more gravel and had a thicker layer ?  its about an inch on average, though a bit deeper at the back.


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## AverageWhiteBloke (6 Jul 2017)

Can you get a plastic glue gun, the ones that melt sticks. If you're in UK only about fiver in wilkos and a handy bit of kit to have around for running repairs. 

Sent from my STH100-2 using Tapatalk


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## AverageWhiteBloke (6 Jul 2017)

Stupid answer lol you're in Wales. I need to keep track of my posts. 

Sent from my STH100-2 using Tapatalk


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## Pysgodyn (29 Jul 2017)

hi all,  thought i'd give you an update on the tank.
i've added reflectors to the tubes a week+ ago,  plants seem happier.
also dosing easylife stuff,  profito after water change - half dose, and trying their liquid co2 stuff, again a low dose, maybe 1ml at start of day or start of lights going on.

2 weeks ago I added java moss to a third new piece of wood standing tall (tied to some slate as foundation) and more anubius nana.
taken some poorly bacopa out.  the vallis i had wasn't happy either, but now worse despite the liquid co2, which they apparently don't like.
added a couple of smaller crypt wenditti in the corners. and limnopilia sessiflora which i quite like the look of and may get more if it's happy.
the cabomba seems ok, though grows slowly.

the 3 danios were joined by 7 wcmm, while 4 oto cats were put in quarantene  in small tank.

last weekend i called in 'the green machine' some nice small tanks there, they don't have the big tanks anymore as the seem to be just doing the ADA stuff.  came away with more java ferns, some straggly trident, and nicer 'mini' stuff which goes well with the taller ferns i already had. also some crypt beckettii petchii has been added in the mid-fore ground.

got back home to add these plants and found an algae bloom and a missing danio and missing wcmm,  haven't found them inside or outside the tank.  water test seemed ok, so i added the new plants and did water change.
 i also took the juwel nitrax filterr sponge out and replaced it with a std course sponge that i had hollowed out and filled with fluval biomax ceramic thingys.

given the algae, and with the oto's looking heathy,  i put the oto's in yesterday and the seem happy. good addition as similar in size to rest and no bother from other fish.

this morning i seem to be down another fish ?!!  could only count 6 wcmm.   again, can't find a corpse anywhere.
tested for ammonia and seems close to zero.

bit worried about fish loss and my failiure to find the dead ones.  i cant see how the juwel filter could suck them up, nor how the hydor koralia might be chopping them up.

as far as fish behaviour goes,  the wcmm do seem a bit lethargic and stay quite high in the tank, and dont explore the plants at all.  the pair of danios are far less boistrous that they were as a trio, still happy to zoom about and go exploring every corner of the tank. so i'm actually happier with their chilled out behaviour.

anyway i attach a few photos.  
  i'd like to get some more slate in there i think- aquascaping advice would be helpful.  some taller plants would be nice too,  but i may leave the tank be for couple of weeks and see how it does first.
also pondering an led light as an extra, maybe a dimmable one would be ideal, though i saw the arcadia stretch lamp and it seems a good option, small and cheap, but no dimmer.


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