# 45x27x30, ‘Apocalypse Now!’



## CooKieS (19 Jul 2020)

Hi there,

So lots of changes on my plans;

-My beloved 60p is now sold and is going to it’s new home end of this week.
-My 17l shrimp nano is now going without co2 and temporary host the betta from the 60p.
-Got an 45x30x27 from Viv (same quality as Ada 45p) to replace the 60p.

Equipment:
-Dennerle scaper’s flow 
-Skylight intense AQI 40H
-Ohio stone
-Pouzzolane 
-Tropica soil 

Couldn’t resist scaping it quickly, so 2 hours later here is the result;








I still have to work on some details this week so I’ll post an FTS once it’s done.

I’ll plant it with some cuttings from the 60p.

to be continued....

cheers
Thierry


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## Deano3 (19 Jul 2020)

CooKieS said:


> Hi there,
> 
> So lots of changes on my plans;
> 
> ...


That looks amazing mate so natural

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## PARAGUAY (19 Jul 2020)

Looks really good the perspective is spot on


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## Melll (19 Jul 2020)

Love it 👍


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## CooKieS (21 Jul 2020)

Here it is, hope you like it.

Actually collecting the plants...will be flooding it end of this week.


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## steveno (21 Jul 2020)

Wow so dramatic, looks amazing.👍


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## Melll (21 Jul 2020)

CooKieS said:


> Here it is, hope you like it.
> 
> Actually collecting the plants...will be flooding it end of this week.



This is really lovely, I am following with interest 

what are your thoughts about the Dennerle Scaper`s Flow filter?


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## Deano3 (21 Jul 2020)

Amazing job mate 

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## CooKieS (21 Jul 2020)

steveno said:


> Wow so dramatic, looks amazing.👍



thanks! 



Melll said:


> This is really lovely, I am following with interest
> 
> what are your thoughts about the Dennerle Scaper`s Flow filter?



Thank you! I don’t know yet for the Dennerle, first time using it, but I like the concept. 




Deano3 said:


> Amazing job mate
> 
> Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk



glad you like it mate.


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## dcurzon (21 Jul 2020)

where did you get the lily pipe attachments from please?  thanks


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## CooKieS (22 Jul 2020)

dcurzon said:


> where did you get the lily pipe attachments from please?  thanks



they are included with the filter , but you can find spares on amazon for example


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## alto (22 Jul 2020)

Dragonstone actually touching glass - or just looks like it ?


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## dcurzon (22 Jul 2020)

CooKieS said:


> they are included with the filter , but you can find spares on amazon for example



I have the Eheim "installation set" type intake/spray bar and these could tidy it up nicely... have found something similar on Ebay which might do the trick after some measuring  cheers


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## Putney (22 Jul 2020)

What is that light and also inlet/outlets ?


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## CooKieS (22 Jul 2020)

alto said:


> Dragonstone actually touching glass - or just looks like it ?



there is an Tight gap between the stones and the glass 



dcurzon said:


> I have the Eheim "installation set" type intake/spray bar and these could tidy it up nicely... have found something similar on Ebay which might do the trick after some measuring  cheers



ah nice to hear that 👍





Putney said:


> What is that light and also inlet/outlets ?



I’ve edited the first post with the equipment. Filter is the Dennerle scapers flow, and the light is from skylight.


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## Artichoke (22 Jul 2020)

This looks amazing, like a path up the mountain! Can't wait to see it planted. 😀


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## LondonDragon (22 Jul 2020)

Looks awesome  nice rock work, the only issue I find with Gumis is that there is a limitation on the amount of plants you can use and I like lots of them! Got bored of my gumi very quickly lol


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## CooKieS (23 Jul 2020)

Artichoke said:


> This looks amazing, like a path up the mountain! Can't wait to see it planted. 😀



I’ll plant it very soon, I already flooded it (´dark start method’ ). Should receive the plants next week . Thanks 



LondonDragon said:


> Looks awesome  nice rock work, the only issue I find with Gumis is that there is a limitation on the amount of plants you can use and I like lots of them! Got bored of my gumi very quickly lol



thanks Paulo, that won’t be an iwagumi...look here is the plant list;

-marsilea crenata
-rotala walliichii 
-hemianthus micranthemoides 
-elatine hydropiper 
-hc cuba 
-micranthemum Monte carlo 
-rotala h’ra 
-salvinia natans
-bucephalandra 
-fissidens Vietnam 

i know, that sounds like A LOT


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## steveno (23 Jul 2020)

It will be interest to see how  you fit all those plants in that scape, and not hide all the lovely hardscape 😊.


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## LondonDragon (23 Jul 2020)

CooKieS said:


> thanks Paulo, that won’t be an iwagumi...look here is the plant list;


Awesome, like in Jaws "you gonna need a bigger tank"


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## Putney (23 Jul 2020)

I see most of the sides and back in substrate now. Thats going to look pretty intresting. Looking foward to seeing the planting


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## CooKieS (24 Jul 2020)

Water is in since 2 days, now very clear. The Dennerle has an good flow but I got some noise coming from the impeller, that’s annoying , I hope it will go by itself (it’s not trapped air).






Plants should come next week


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## Putney (24 Jul 2020)

Where is that blue light coming from. So cool


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## Melll (24 Jul 2020)

Hi, I have one of the Dannerle filters and the rattle does stop.


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## CooKieS (24 Jul 2020)

Putney said:


> Where is that blue light coming from. So cool
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



that is the Ada light screen foil...without any light screen panel. 



Melll said:


> Hi, I have one of the Dannerle filters and the rattle does stop.


 Ah! Nice to hear that, would some silicon grease on the rotor shaft help?


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## Melll (24 Jul 2020)

I didn`t use anything on it, have you adjusted the little rubber foot that keeps the filter off the tank side?


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## CooKieS (24 Jul 2020)

Melll said:


> I didn`t use anything on it, have you adjusted the little rubber foot that keeps the filter off the tank side?



yeah, it really seems to come from the impeller and not from vibrations?


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## Melll (24 Jul 2020)

CooKieS said:


> yeah, it really seems to come from the impeller and not from vibrations?




Sorry I cannot help you as mine is silent.


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## CooKieS (25 Jul 2020)

Melll said:


> Sorry I cannot help you as mine is silent.



no more rattle...😬


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## Geoffrey Rea (25 Jul 2020)

CooKieS said:


> yeah, it really seems to come from the impeller and not from vibrations?



JBL silicone spray on the impeller? Seems to have sorted many brand new filters that were initially noisy in the past. Either that or wait, as the magnet develops a film the noise from the impeller has disappeared also.


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## CooKieS (2 Aug 2020)

Geoffrey Rea said:


> JBL silicone spray on the impeller? Seems to have sorted many brand new filters that were initially noisy in the past. Either that or wait, as the magnet develops a film the noise from the impeller has disappeared also.


I’ll try but as the filter is new, I thought it didn’t need it...

well I planted this bad boy this morning;





Didn’t use all the plants because it was simply too much, here’s the plant list:

hc cuba
Monte carlo
Hemianthus micranthemoides 
Riccardia
Bucephalandra 
Rotala h’ra
Rotala waliichii 
Marsilea crenata 
Hydrocotyle tripartita mini


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## Steve Buce (2 Aug 2020)

Really liking the hardscape


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## Deano3 (3 Aug 2020)

Very nice mate should grow in great  

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## CooKieS (4 Aug 2020)

Steve Buce said:


> Really liking the hardscape


Thank you 


Deano3 said:


> Very nice mate should grow in great
> 
> Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk


Hope so!  Hc wasn’t in the best condition, hope it will stay alive otherwise I’ll replace it with fresh one. 

Another point of view:


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## CooKieS (4 Aug 2020)

Actually looking for livestock options...here’s the actual list;

-celestial pearl danio (x10)
Or
-tucanoichtys tucano (x10)
Or
-tanichthys micagemmae (x8)

any other suggestions guys? Would like some active fishes that likes flow and not so shy because as you can see, not so much places to hide.


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## rebel (5 Aug 2020)

Wow great hardscape. Not sure on that Buce right in the middle of the path though. I think it breaks the harmony a little.


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## CooKieS (5 Aug 2020)

rebel said:


> Wow great hardscape. Not sure on that Buce right in the middle of the path though. I think it breaks the harmony a little.



Glad you like it man, yeah not sure about the middle buce too, it’s not glued so I can easily remove it.


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## Melll (5 Aug 2020)

CooKieS said:


> tanichthys micagemmae



These are a beautiful little fish so they get my vote for your tank 👍


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## CooKieS (9 Aug 2020)

Melll said:


> These are a beautiful little fish so they get my vote for your tank 👍



thanks 

one week in, everything is Ok for now;


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## Melll (9 Aug 2020)

I think I need some lessons from my daughter in how to take good photographs,  I`m a point and click person and the results are terrible.   Your photos and so many others on here, the photos are crisp, clear and in focus


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## CooKieS (12 Aug 2020)

Melll said:


> I think I need some lessons from my daughter in how to take good photographs,  I`m a point and click person and the results are terrible.   Your photos and so many others on here, the photos are crisp, clear and in focus



thanks mate, just play with the manual focus and some macro or portait lens.

10 days in,nice growth yet;


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## Wookii (12 Aug 2020)

Looking good @CooKieS as always. How you find the sand on such a steep slope, does it stay in place or slip to the bottom over time?


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## CooKieS (12 Aug 2020)

Wookii said:


> Looking good @CooKieS as always. How you find the sand on such a steep slope, does it stay in place or slip to the bottom over time?



thanks!

there is an trick on this one, between the soil and the sand I added an thin filter wool all over the path section. That will avoid soil mixing with sand and it helps keeping sand in place and not slip to the bottom


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## Wookii (12 Aug 2020)

CooKieS said:


> thanks!
> 
> there is an trick on this one, between the soil and the sand I added an thin filter wool all over the path section. That will avoid soil mixing with sand and it helps keeping sand in place and not slip to the bottom



Sneaky! I like it!  Did you take any photos mid construction showing that - it would be a good technique to see in action?


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## CooKieS (12 Aug 2020)

Wookii said:


> Sneaky! I like it!  Did you take any photos mid construction showing that - it would be a good technique to see in action?


Unfortunately no , but you can see this technique in action in this video at around 4 minutes, enjoy


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## Wookii (12 Aug 2020)

CooKieS said:


> Unfortunately no , but you can see this technique in action in this video at around 4 minutes, enjoy




Nice one! I need to watch it tomorrow on my PC so I can get subtitles, but is he using liquid superglue to stick it to the hardscape?


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## Melll (12 Aug 2020)

The subtitles are hilarious


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## CooKieS (12 Aug 2020)

Wookii said:


> Nice one! I need to watch it tomorrow on my PC so I can get subtitles, but is he using liquid superglue to stick it to the hardscape?



yes he uses glue to stick it to the soil under it. Honestly I didn’t make this as it was too messy and didn’t need it in the end; once the sand is on the fiter floss, it doesn’t move any further


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## CooKieS (15 Aug 2020)




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## Deano3 (15 Aug 2020)

CooKieS said:


>


Very nice pearling what plant is that mate  as often see it and not very good with plants as i am making a list for mine is it the rotala?



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## CooKieS (16 Aug 2020)

It’s an 10 days old rotala waliichii, will get pink in a few weeks.


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## CooKieS (20 Aug 2020)

18 days update.

no major algae, some diatoms and gsa on the glass, nothing to worry about.

Doing about 30% WC 2 times a week. Dosing liquid carbon daily.

still haven’t choose what fish to put it. Actually looking for tanychthys micagemmae as they love flow and open water.


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## Deano3 (20 Aug 2020)

Thats looking great a d i will he getting that rotala as love it. Also regarding fish the colours in that pictue would suit the fish i have so much ( Neon Blue Rasbora Sundadanio axelrodi ‘blue) i think would suit it great.

Dean

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## CooKieS (20 Aug 2020)

Deano3 said:


> Thats looking great a d i will he getting that rotala as love it. Also regarding fish the colours in that pictue would suit the fish i have so much ( Neon Blue Rasbora Sundadanio axelrodi ‘blue) i think would suit it great.
> 
> Dean
> 
> Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk



thanks for this nice suggestion Dean, definitely looking for Sundadanio at my lfs.


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## CooKieS (1 Sep 2020)

Back from holidays maintenance.


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## CooKieS (7 Sep 2020)

First trim of the stems and second one of the hc Cuba. Started dosing K and liquid carbon


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## Melll (7 Sep 2020)

Truly beautiful


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## steveno (8 Sep 2020)

Looking great mate...


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## CooKieS (11 Sep 2020)

Finally got some nice little buggers for this tank.


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## Wookii (11 Sep 2020)

CooKieS said:


> Finally got some nice little buggers for this tank.



Cute! What are they?


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## dw1305 (11 Sep 2020)

Hi all,





Wookii said:


> Cute! What are they?


<"_Tucanoichthys tucano">._

cheers Darrel


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## Putney (11 Sep 2020)

Cute fish. Is that a macro lens?


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## Wookii (12 Sep 2020)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,<"_Tucanoichthys tucano">._
> 
> cheers Darrel



Wow they are tiny! 15-17mm fully grown. I shall add those to my list!


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## CooKieS (12 Sep 2020)

Putney said:


> Cute fish. Is that a macro lens?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



yes, Olympus macro 30mm on lumix gx80



Wookii said:


> Wow they are tiny! 15-17mm fully grown. I shall add those to my list!



These tucanoichthys Tucano are amazing,

bold, small, colorful and amazing behavior. They are very rare and can be pricey too, better ask your lfs first.

they have started to breed them in Germany but my lfs guy said that these were wild ones because they lost a lot of the bred ones this year, don’t know exactly why.

it seems that the male keep an eye on the eggs after the breed, which is an very unusual behavior for small tetra!


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## Melll (12 Sep 2020)

Fabulous photos 😃👍


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## dw1305 (12 Sep 2020)

Hi all,





CooKieS said:


> they have started to breed them in Germany but my lfs guy said that these were wild ones because they lost a lot of the bred ones this year, don’t know exactly why.


All these real black-water fish are difficult to keep long term. You need really soft, acidic, tannin stained water for long term success.





CooKieS said:


> it seems that the male keep an eye on the eggs after the breed, which is an very unusual behavior for small tetra!


Certainly is, and probably related the black-water again, black water fish tend to be unproblematic to feed, because food is in short supply in their native habitat, so they make the most of any opportunities. 

Eggs and fry are a prime protein source so parental care is more likely to evolve under those sorts of selection pressures.

cheers Darrel


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## CooKieS (21 Sep 2020)

Trim needed!

the Tucanos are doing great, feeding them with baby brine shrimps and dr.bassleer since one week seems to have greatly improved their colors.

they are the boldest micro fishes I’ve ever had with males that keep on fighting and sparring like much bigger tetras would do. They are all coming to the front glass when I’m near the tank,fascinating !


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## CooKieS (29 Sep 2020)

Female Dario Tiger ´Myanmar’ :




Male dominant Tucanoichthys tucano:


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## adavin (29 Sep 2020)

Nice setup good perspective


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## dw1305 (29 Sep 2020)

Hi all, 





CooKieS said:


> Female Dario Tiger ´Myanmar’


Very nice.

cheers Darrel


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## GHNelson (29 Sep 2020)

Lovely....and a nice scape!


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## CooKieS (5 Oct 2020)

Thanks guys!

These Darios won’t only take live food and they eat very slowly so be aware of that before buying. 

Here’s my new nano shelf, hope you like it.


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## CooKieS (10 Oct 2020)

Added a new chihiros backlight led, works the same as the Ada or lightground one, very cool effect


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## Wookii (10 Oct 2020)

CooKieS said:


> Added a new chihiros backlight led, works the same as the Ada or lightground one, very cool effect



Nice! You got a link to that, Google gave me nothing and I can’t seem to see it on their website?


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## CooKieS (10 Oct 2020)

Wookii said:


> Nice! You got a link to that, Google gave me nothing and I can’t seem to see it on their website?


After some inspection I’m not sure that it’s made by chihiros, just the power supply is from them, I’ll ask my dealer.

I found it from his website here ;

https://www.skaii-and-shrimps.fr/ba...10-backlight-retroeclairage-skyblue-foil.html

The prices are very reasonable in comparaison to Ada or lightground


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## Geoffrey Rea (10 Oct 2020)

CooKieS said:


> The prices are very reasonable in comparaison to Ada or lightground



Have never really seen the quality difference despite the pricing difference. Also really like the colour gradient from the top downwards on your scape @CooKieS looks very cool 😎


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## Wookii (11 Oct 2020)

CooKieS said:


> After some inspection I’m not sure that it’s made by chihiros, just the power supply is from them, I’ll ask my dealer.
> 
> I found it from his website here ;
> 
> ...



Ah ok, that’s why I couldn’t find it lol (surprising though, now you mention it, than Chihiros haven’t actually released one!)

Thanks for the link, I’ll have to see if they ship to the UK.

Does it have LED’s all the way around the outside edge, or just along the bottom?


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## CooKieS (11 Oct 2020)

Geoffrey Rea said:


> Have never really seen the quality difference despite the pricing difference. Also really like the colour gradient from the top downwards on your scape @CooKieS looks very cool 😎



yeah I mean a led panel is not something that worth putting hundreds of bucks in it... IMO 




Wookii said:


> Ah ok, that’s why I couldn’t find it lol (surprising though, now you mention it, than Chihiros haven’t actually released one!)
> 
> Thanks for the link, I’ll have to see if they ship to the UK.
> 
> Does it have LED’s all the way around the outside edge, or just along the bottom?



I think they’ll ship to UK! It has led everywhere, just like the others one. It’s not too powerful, just enough to make the scape shine. It comes with an gradient blue foil but I find it an bit clear and actually running mine with the Ada light screen gradient foil which is great.


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## CooKieS (12 Oct 2020)

I think this tank will be ready for the final shoot very soon


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## CooKieS (4 Nov 2020)

Anubias Snow White, male Dario tiger and full shot update!


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## CooKieS (24 Nov 2020)

Unfortunately lost half of my tucano tetra... I guess I changed too much water at once (60%+ instead of the usual 30%)...they are sensitive and lost 4 of them in 48hours. Managed to transfer the 5 left into my 80cm were they’re fine since 10 days now. Lesson learned! :-/

The Dario tiger couple are fine.

Otherwise, the tank is running flawless, no algae and good plant growth. Started to taking trial shots for final pic . 

Here’s an shot from 2 weeks ago, needs some serious trimming again tomorrow.


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## dw1305 (24 Nov 2020)

Hi all,


CooKieS said:


> Unfortunately lost half of my tucano tetra... I guess I changed too much water at once (60%+ instead of the usual 30%)...they are sensitive and lost 4 of them in 48hours. Managed to transfer the 5 left into my 80cm were they’re fine since 10 days now. Lesson learned! :-/


That is a shame, hopefully the remaining ones will be OK. I avoid <"all the real black-water fish now"> they really need a specialist set-up, with softer water than I can manage, and very careful feeding.

I'm hoping to get some <"more _Apistogramma_ soon">, but I'm going to try and get a species that will spawn successfully in our rain-water, without any DI water addition.

cheers Darrel


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## CooKieS (24 Nov 2020)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> That is a shame, hopefully the remaining ones will be OK. I avoid <"all the real black-water fish now"> they really need a specialist set-up, with softer water than I can manage, and very careful feeding.
> 
> ...



yes, they seems happier in their new big tank, my lfs got some captive bred ones, I’ll buy some to have 10 of them again. Honestly they are quite easy and always hungry but better put them in a bigger tank so not so much water parameters change when WC. As you said they need soft water.

here’s one shot just after putting them in the 80cm, so still stressed out:



And one from yesterday :



Cheers


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## Nico Felici (24 Nov 2020)

Sorry to hear about your tucanos, they are a beautiful little fish but I did hear of similar episodes in the past.

Great scape, I really like it. Not a fan of iwagumi's myself but the depth here is palpable. I suppose you won't have much to trim behind there though, will you? The substrate looks really high up


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## dw1305 (24 Nov 2020)

Hi all, 


CooKieS said:


> Honestly they are quite easy and always hungry


That is actually one of the issues.

I had it with _Dicrossus maculatus, _they were fine why they were growing, and ate absolutely everything. Being used to _Apistogramma _(which only ate live food, wouldn't eat Ostracods etc) it was a surprise and I got quite blase about looking after them. <"Some-one told me"> that you need to feed them very carefully once they are adult, otherwise they will "pig out on the burgers" and die young, and that it is the same for most black-water fish, they will eat until they burst. 

cheers Darrel


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## dw1305 (24 Nov 2020)

Hi all,


CooKieS said:


> here’s one shot just after putting them in the 80cm, so still stressed out:


That is very interesting, and why a picture is worth a thousand words. You can see the bright red gill colour, showing through the operculum, which means that you've had an issue which has affected oxygen uptake.

Because you had just had a large volume water change it looks like the issue has come via the tap water. It could be any of these causes:

Low dissolved oxygen.
High dissolved CO2.
Free chlorine.
High ammonia.
I'm going to assume it wasn't low dissolved oxygen, or high CO2 levels, which makes high levels of chlorine and/or emergency chloramine dosing very likely.  It definitely isn't nitrite (NO2-) poisoning because of the bright red colour, if it was NO2 the gills would be dark.

The settled in picture (in the 80cm) looks much better, but possibly still a bit pink? If you add CO2 to that tank I might dial it down a bit, until any residual pinkness disappears? At which point the gills will have repaired themselves .

cheers Darrel


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## not called Bob (24 Nov 2020)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> That is very interesting, and why a picture is worth a thousand words. You can see the bright red gill colour, showing through the operculum, which means that you've had an issue which has affected oxygen uptake.
> 
> ...


think France tends to treat with O3 in the supply,


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## dw1305 (24 Nov 2020)

Hi all,


not called Bob said:


> think France tends to treat with O3 in the supply,


<"Ozone">, I didn't know that. That could definitely <"account for the gill colour"> if there was any residual ozone, it is a really strong <"oxidising agent">.

In some ways it is <"Canford Park"> all over again, just proving that you can have too much of a good thing.

cheers Darrel


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## rebel (24 Nov 2020)

not called Bob said:


> think France tends to treat with O3 in the supply,


How do you get rid of that? Allow it to degas??


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## CooKieS (25 Nov 2020)

@dw1305 as always, you’re spot on! thanks for all this precious information...I think it’s chloramine because I didn’t use an bucket (with seachem prime dose) to change water like I usually do that time...I connected the garden hose directly to the tap using some gardena stuff...and put the seachem prime before that directly in the tank...very bad idea. Learning from mistakes!


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## dw1305 (25 Nov 2020)

Hi all,


rebel said:


> How do you get rid of that? Allow it to degas??


It isn't stable and will rapidly decompose from ozone (O3) to oxygen (O2). This what <"the link"> says about its toxicity.


> Already at a concentration of 0.007 mg / L, which lasts for 96 hours, along with the massive destruction of the gill epithelium, the entire metabolic process is disturbed. This becomes noticeable primarily through a change in the composition of the blood. So, the sodium content in the blood drops to 80%, on the contrary, the content of hemoglobin (140%) and glucose in the blood plasma (1200%) increases sharply. Therefore, the ozone content should not exceed a concentration of 0.002 mg / L.


Ozone is a really <"strong oxidiser and biocide">, meaning that you can only use it because it isn't persistent.


CooKieS said:


> I think it’s chloramine because I didn’t use an bucket (with seachem prime dose) to change water like I usually do that time...I connected the garden hose directly to the tap and put the seachem prime before that directly in the tank


Yes, unfortunately that does sounds likely. Do you definitely have chlorination, rather than ozone, as your sterilant?

Chlorine, <"at high levels, can do a lot of damage">, really quickly. I've always been a rainwater user, so I'm not sure how quickly <"Prime" binds with the chlorine">. @ian_m  might be able to answer?  I know he has posted a lot on dechlorinators, and it isn't an area where I have any practical knowledge.

I've been thinking about this and, purely in terms of planted tank keepers, my guess would be that in these sorts of accidents a supply chlorinated with <"chloramine (NH2Cl)"> may be less likely to do damage, purely because it needs to decompose to release chlorine (Cl2) and ammonia (NH3), which will give more chance of the <"chlorine out-gassing along its diffusion gradient"> with the residual ammonia (NH3) being mopped up by the plants.

cheers Darrel


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## CooKieS (29 Nov 2020)

Hi there,

you’re right, it should be chlorine, because that time I use another water conditioner too (arka products) which doesn’t seem as effective or concentrated than seachem
Prime. Anyway, will stay with my bucket technique for now...covid pandemic hasn’t helped with the chlorine in the tap water and maybe some other stuff... :-/

so the tank is now just hosting a couple of Dario tiger Myanmar which are always hiding (they doesn’t seem to like the open space in this tank and the lack of hiding places), I may have to transfer them in the 80p too.  Now searching for another stocking options...? I’m aware it’s not an ideal scape for hosting fishes but would like to have some for the final shot. Could always put them in the bigger tank later. 

the tank on the other way is running perfectly fine, that cheap sun sun filter is running perfectly nice and the skylight led is impressive. No algae. Dosing masterline ferts (2ml carbo/1ml npk soil daily). Just trimmed it;


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## not called Bob (30 Nov 2020)

have you looked at Sodium Thiosulfate for chlorine removal, its cheap as chips and a little goes a very long way. its the active ingredient in the off the shelf bottles, but without any marketing and solvent.


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## GHNelson (30 Nov 2020)

Cookie
Put some male Endlers in there👍


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## CooKieS (15 Dec 2020)

not called Bob said:


> have you looked at Sodium Thiosulfate for chlorine removal, its cheap as chips and a little goes a very long way. its the active ingredient in the off the shelf bottles, but without any marketing and solvent.


Thanks for the tip man, I’ll take a look at it. 


hogan53 said:


> Cookie
> Put some male Endlers in there👍


I’ve seen some kohaku guppy at my lfs, I never was a livebearer fish fan but I’ve to say I may change my mind and try some.  

little update; while my bigger tank is an mess, this one is running flawless...at least it’s giving me some positive vibes to get the 80cm back on track!


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## levemsan (21 Dec 2020)

So beautiful, I really like how it turned out. 

I have a little question, if you allow me. 😁 How is the quality of the VIV tank compared to an ADA 45P? (any bubbles is the seams, is the silicone work nice?)


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## CooKieS (23 Dec 2020)

levemsan said:


> So beautiful, I really like how it turned out.
> 
> I have a little question, if you allow me. 😁 How is the quality of the VIV tank compared to an ADA 45P? (any bubbles is the seams, is the silicone work nice?)


Thank you very much.

The finish of the viv tank is flawless, can’t see any difference with the Ada.

can you guess what’s the new light upgrade?


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## CooKieS (5 Jan 2021)

hogan53 said:


> Cookie
> Put some male Endlers in there👍



@hogan53 , saw these at my lfs and couldn’t resist.


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## not called Bob (7 Jan 2021)

need a yoga matt on the floor to take in that lovely view in comfort


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## Paulthewitt (7 Jan 2021)

Love the tank👍


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## CooKieS (15 Jan 2021)

not called Bob said:


> need a yoga matt on the floor to take in that lovely view in comfort


 Great idea 


Paulthewitt said:


> Love the tank👍


Thanks man!


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## CooKieS (19 Jan 2021)

Up or down?


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## Wookii (19 Jan 2021)

Down? the brighter exposure gives more apparent depth


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## cbaum86 (19 Jan 2021)

CooKieS said:


> Up or down?


Difficult. On first looking I prefer the warmer tones of the top and think the shadows of the stone is more pronounced. The red of the rotala also looks 'happier'.
However, I prefer the cooler greens of the bottom but the hardscape looks a little washed out for me.

Fussy I know. Can a mid-ground with the cooler hues but more contrast be achieved without too much compromise and fakery?
Has this been achieved by changing the lighting on the tank, camera settings or post-production?


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## CooKieS (19 Jan 2021)

Haha up is skylight hyperspot, down is skylight aqi 40 intense.


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## cbaum86 (19 Jan 2021)

CooKieS said:


> Haha up is skylight hyperspot, down is skylight aqi 40 intense


You need to get in touch with them and ask for a "skylight fussyChris" edition.

Out of curiosity which do you prefer?


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## CooKieS (20 Jan 2021)

cbaum86 said:


> You need to get in touch with them and ask for a "skylight fussyChris" edition.
> 
> Out of curiosity which do you prefer?


Actually digging the Aqi more, the hyperspot reminds me a bit of the chihiros vivid saturation, but will wait for the stems to grow,  because the reds seems amazing.

I've to take proper pics when I get my new mirrorless cam lens because it's hard to catch the hyperspot properly with an smartfone...


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## Wookii (20 Jan 2021)

CooKieS said:


> Actually digging the Aqi more, the hyperspot reminds me a bit of the chihiros vivid saturation, but will wait for the stems to grow,  because the reds seems amazing.
> 
> I've to take proper pics when I get my new mirrorless cam lens because it's hard to catch the hyperspot properly with an smartfone...



I imagine the difference is more apparent in person. Viewing on my iPhone, the difference, particularly in saturation, isn't so apparent. On my PC monitor is it much more visible, but neither device is properly calibrated, so likely neither looks like it does in the flesh. 

Which setting do you have the Skylight on in that image?


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## CooKieS (20 Jan 2021)

Wookii said:


> I imagine the difference is more apparent in person. Viewing on my iPhone, the difference, particularly in saturation, isn't so apparent. On my PC monitor is it much more visible, but neither device is properly calibrated, so likely neither looks like it does in the flesh.
> 
> Which setting do you have the Skylight on in that image?



Aqi is at 100% power on the colder channel 
Hyperspot is at 100% power  each channel (cold and warm)

The hyperspot when seeing it live has definitely the ‘wow factor’ because of saturation and design of the led with that mirror under it;





The Aqi is more subtle but I do like the green colors and white balance more on it (again I use it at colder setting).


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## Alexv95 (21 Jan 2021)

Hello,
 (Un bonjour d'un français qui trouve tes bacs superbes )
Wonderful tank! Like all your others.
I have a question for you about fert : I saw that you tried different lines (vimi, APT, masterline here...). Is there a brandt that you think is better than the others? Here, do you use masterline AIO or golden ?
I discussed recently with Marian Sterian who created masterline fert and asked him about the difference between AIO classic and golden, because the compositions are almost identical. He told me that the elements in golden are easily absorbed, the plants love it more than the classic AIO (but I don't know how...). I don't know if you had the opportunity to use and compare these 2 products?


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## CooKieS (22 Jan 2021)

Alexv95 said:


> Hello,
> (Un bonjour d'un français qui trouve tes bacs superbes )
> Wonderful tank! Like all your others.
> I have a question for you about fert : I saw that you tried different lines (vimi, APT, masterline here...). Is there a brandt that you think is better than the others? Here, do you use masterline AIO or golden ?
> I discussed recently with Marian Sterian who created masterline fert and asked him about the difference between AIO classic and golden, because the compositions are almost identical. He told me that the elements in golden are easily absorbed, the plants love it more than the classic AIO (but I don't know how...). I don't know if you had the opportunity to use and compare these 2 products?


Hello, et merci  
Je réponds ici pour la communauté mais si tu veux plus d’infos passes en MP. 
Yes I have tried many ferts and actually liking the all in one because of their simple use. Actually digging the masterline ferts, and using the all in one soil + carbo on this one, it’s fine as it’s leaner that AIO and golden, and allows you to control the growth more,  and get redder plants. I recommend to use nutrition caps after 6-8months if the growth started to slow down.
(AIO soil works like Ada ferts: rich soil and lean ferts in water column).
APT complete works nicely for a tank with lots of plants (now he’s releasing an light version of it too but didn’t tried it yet).
I had some staghorn problems with vimi , so I’m not using it anymore.
Hope that helps
Cheers 
Thierry


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## CooKieS (23 Jan 2021)

Hi, another great moment, that’s what I call teamwork! 



These endlers are hard to shoot properly! As my macro lens has no autofocus, I had to use my cheap Amazon macro lens and my smartfone to get this one;


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## Wookii (23 Jan 2021)

CooKieS said:


> Hi, another great moment, that’s what I call teamwork!


Are you sure that not a snail orgy @CooKieS? 😂


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## CooKieS (23 Jan 2021)

Wookii said:


> Are you sure that not a snail orgy @CooKieS? 😂


Hahahaha, yeah I guess so. 😅


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## dw1305 (23 Jan 2021)

Hi all,


Wookii said:


> Are you sure that not a snail orgy


Could be, _Physella acuta _is a hermaphrodite,  


> ............. _Physella acuta _is hermaphroditic, meaning that it possesses both male and female reproductive organs, is capable of self-fertilization, and has a high reproductive output............


but I give you <"_Crepidula fornicata">._

cheers Darrel


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## Alexv95 (24 Jan 2021)

CooKieS said:


> Hello, et merci
> Je réponds ici pour la communauté mais si tu veux plus d’infos passes en MP.
> Yes I have tried many ferts and actually liking the all in one because of their simple use. Actually digging the masterline ferts, and using the all in one soil + carbo on this one, it’s fine as it’s leaner that AIO and golden, and allows you to control the growth more,  and get redder plants. I recommend to use nutrition caps after 6-8months if the growth started to slow down.
> (AIO soil works like Ada ferts: rich soil and lean ferts in water column).
> ...


Thank you very much Thierry, very helpful.
Currently, I'm using tropica specialized I have good results but it's a little bit difficult to keep rotala red due to his high nitrogen ratio vs phosphate and potassium.
I also use APT complete in an other tank. Dennis Wong shares the formulation, however I initialy tried to copy it with powders but I have to say that the tank feels better now with the original product (I don't really know why, maybe because he uses ammonium/urea whereas I used KNO3...)

Your 2 last pics are very nice.


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## Paul Kettless (24 Jan 2021)

Not quite sure how I have missed this thread, beautiful scape you have there, and a very good eye for detail.


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## CooKieS (26 Jan 2021)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Could be, _Physella acuta _is a hermaphrodite,
> 
> ...



nice invasive critters these C.Fornicata 





Alexv95 said:


> Thank you very much Thierry, very helpful.
> Currently, I'm using tropica specialized I have good results but it's a little bit difficult to keep rotala red due to his high nitrogen ratio vs phosphate and potassium.
> I also use APT complete in an other tank. Dennis Wong shares the formulation, however I initialy tried to copy it with powders but I have to say that the tank feels better now with the original product (I don't really know why, maybe because he uses ammonium/urea whereas I used KNO3...)
> 
> Your 2 last pics are very nice.


Yes the tropica ferts is known to have too much no3 and low po4 and K, it works nicely for the first months of the tank and then you should add more K and po4 separately or add nutrition caps to the soil. 
Urea is known to grow moss and epiphytes very nicely.





Paul Kettless said:


> Not quite sure how I have missed this thread, beautiful scape you have there, and a very good eye for detail.



merci beaucoup / thank you very much


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## CooKieS (5 Mar 2021)

Still running ,  but neglected, didn’t trim any plants since weeks as I’m planning an rescape soon 
As you can see it has some emersed friends now


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## CooKieS (12 Mar 2021)

Ended this tank today 

Even if I’m not an big fan of ‘diorama’ , I enjoyed it a lot. Hope you too.
Cheers


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