# 40 Litres Low Tech



## azawaza (26 Aug 2018)

Hello everyone.
My first time posting here.
Currently, I’m setting up a low tech planted tank. I came from a high tech 3 feet planted tank from a year back. I had that previous tank for about 2 years before having to relocate.
Space and budget are a bit tight now so I’ve opted to go low tech.

Today is Day 6. Nitrite was at zero ppm yesterday night but I’m not convinced so will test later.

There’s no lifestock yet, just lots of plants. Mostly anubias and java fern with a bit of buchephalendra, xmas moss, bolbitis and cryptocoryne wendtii thrown in the mix. I’m not sure what floating plants I got there but new leaves are forming so that’s good.

Will post more details on tank setup soon.

Qn: Which algae eating crew should I stock up first- otocinclus or CRS?


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## rebel (26 Aug 2018)

I would wait until the tank is cycled before adding any critters. Otos are better than CRS for algae duties. Some nerite snails may also be useful.


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (26 Aug 2018)

Looks great


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## Nubias (26 Aug 2018)

Looks nice, I’m really liking the island style at the moment. As rebel says wait for it to cycle before adding any fish or shrimp. What other live stock are you considering?


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## dw1305 (26 Aug 2018)

Hi all,





azawaza said:


> I’m not sure what floating plants I got there but new leaves are forming so that’s good.


Looks like <"_Pistia stratiotes">.
_
cheers Darrel


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## azawaza (26 Aug 2018)

rebel said:


> I would wait until the tank is cycled before adding any critters. Otos are better than CRS for algae duties. Some nerite snails may also be useful.



Tank is, I presumed after testing (0 Nitrites, 10ppm Nitrates), cycled. I did fishless cycle with Stability and fish food from Day One. Will continue to monitor water parameters daily with Prime addition when required.

Went to the LFS to get two otos just a while ago. Had them acclimated and they seem to be doing well, eating away at the back glass. 

About the nerite snails, I had a few in my previous 3 feet tank and they seem to be too large for this current one, me thinks. Are there any smaller snails around?


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## azawaza (26 Aug 2018)

Nubias said:


> Looks nice, I’m really liking the island style at the moment. As rebel says wait for it to cycle before adding any fish or shrimp. What other live stock are you considering?



The island layout are the only way I could hide all the unsightly wood the Anubias and Java ferns are attached to. I didn’t have enough budget to work with to purhase driftwood nor rocks, so oh well, we have to stay creative within our means I guess. 

I used Sudo Bottom Sand in hope of getting some dwarf corydoras. Am still undecided between pygmy cory or hastatus. 

Maybe some Boraras (not sure which too), a Kuhli loach would be cool and one more solitary mid-sized fish like Apistos or Killies?

I may be too ambitious on the above. Secretly, I love plants more (algae, not so!) and don’t mind which lifestock are in the tank, so long as they survive and are healthy that would please me much.


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## azawaza (26 Aug 2018)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,Looks like <"_Pistia stratiotes">.
> _
> cheers Darrel



Thanks Darrel. 

Always good to know which plants are in your tank. I have to admit that I added Peacock Fern to version 1.0 of the scape. Had to dispose them when told that they were not fully aquatic.

Wish my LFSs label their plants with scientific names though. Much easier to ID plants online that way.


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## azawaza (26 Aug 2018)

Tank specs:
60x30x24cm braceless
UP Aqua Lights Pro ZX 60cm
ANS glass inlet and outlet 13mm
Eheim Ecco Pro 130





It’s good to have a fish tank again  Boy is this hobby fun (until algae fighting begins haha!)


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## dw1305 (26 Aug 2018)

Hi all





azawaza said:


> Always good to know which plants are in your tank


I can see from this picture that my earlier ID is wrong, and it is actually a, large leaved, water fern, _Salvinia_ sp.

They are difficult to identify to species, but that looks like either _Salvinia cucullata _or a large member of the _Salvinia ariculata_ group. To tell which one you actually have you need either <"sporocarps and/or a picture of the leaf hairs">.

If it's _Salvinia "molesta"_ or a similar auriculata group species (that would be my guess) the leaf hairs are "egg whisk" shaped (see below).





cheers Darrel


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## azawaza (27 Aug 2018)

I’ve a question about the floating plants: why do the new leaves look so different from the parent ones?


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## azawaza (27 Aug 2018)

Some tank updates:

Dosings- 1ml Excel on odd days; 4ml Tropica Premium Nutrition fert on even days; 4ml Algexit weekly.

Also, some of the large Anubias had weakened leaves with holes so I trimmed them off. In place of the gap in the foliage, I added some Bucephalandra. 

Was considering other plants at my LFS but decided against it: would Hygrophila pinnatifida work in my tank? Must I plant it in the sand or will attaching it in between rocks do too?


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (27 Aug 2018)

I have had mixed success with it but yes you can attach it to rocks/wood.


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## dw1305 (27 Aug 2018)

Hi all,





azawaza said:


> I’ve a question about the floating plants: why do the new leaves look so different from the parent ones?


It is a light effect, the original plants are likely to have been grown out-doors, in bright tropical sun-light. One of the reasons that it is difficult to identify _Salvinia_ species is that they have a <"very plastic growth response">.

cheers Darrel


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## alto (28 Aug 2018)

hastatus cory if you can find them - much brighter appearance & personality (I think )


I really like this tank 
I’d add several Otos with all those broad leaves to keep them entertained


Nerites - clithon corona/diadema are much smaller - & better plant algae cleaners ... 
these seem to be less common in shops (& on fish lists)


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## alto (28 Aug 2018)

azawaza said:


> Hygrophila pinnatifida


I prefer Tropica’s 1-2-Grow version over their pot version

It’s fantastic as an epiphyte


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## azawaza (28 Aug 2018)

alto said:


> hastatus cory if you can find them - much brighter appearance & personality (I think )
> 
> 
> I really like this tank
> ...



Hastatus will be hard to find and expensive too. Sometimes they appear at boutique LFSs here and get snapped up very fast. I may go with pygmy cory if the itch needs to be scratched fast haha.

Thanks for your compliments. I hope I have the dedication to keep it maintained, no promises though. 

I have two otocinclus at the moment. How many should I get you think? I would like to keep bioload low. Will there be algae and biofilm sufficient enough to sustain them all?

I’ll research more on the snails you mentioned. I may get one or two, depending on future bioload again.


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## DeiJas (28 Aug 2018)

I should make myself island composition tank as well... really like the look of it... but whenever times comes to restart aquarium - my mind is somewhere else and I end up with some swamp


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## azawaza (28 Aug 2018)

alto said:


> I prefer Tropica’s 1-2-Grow version over their pot version
> 
> It’s fantastic as an epiphyte



Should I superglue or tie them to rocks? And how should I do it in terms of positioning? Do the roots need exposing like rhizome plants?


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## azawaza (28 Aug 2018)

DeiJas said:


> I should make myself island composition tank as well... really like the look of it... but whenever times comes to restart aquarium - my mind is somewhere else and I end up with some swamp



I don’t think mine can last nicely manicured. It will slowly but eventually be overgrown in due time. Swamp can be good too if it resembles a biotope which could make fish less stressed I feel.

I went from being swayed by Iwagumi to Dutch in my previous tanks (this is my third one); now I’m just looking to create an environment that is both pleasing to the eye and comforting for the creatures within to dwell in.

Plus, the less hassle to maintain it, the better


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (28 Aug 2018)

If you get more otos they will likely be more comfortable as they are naturally a schoaling fish. That said you would definately need to star feeding them algae wafers, like you said, not enough natural stuff to sustain more.


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## azawaza (29 Aug 2018)

Matt @ ScapeEasy said:


> If you get more otos they will likely be more comfortable as they are naturally a schoaling fish. That said you would definately need to star feeding them algae wafers, like you said, not enough natural stuff to sustain more.



Thanks Matt. I'll definitely consider adding more otos in the days to come. The two I have looks a tad skittish whenever the lights goes on.

By the way, I found a few pictures of my previous 90x45x45cm tank:

https://imgur.com/gallery/qvJNq

I was trying to learn the Dutch style and was experimenting with various stem plants in this tank


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## Marc Davis (29 Aug 2018)

Love your tank. Nice and simple. Id add about 15-20 RCS personally. You wont get any algae problems with a good colony of RCS in a small tank. Keep the feeding light and they will keep everything shiny.


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## azawaza (29 Aug 2018)

Tank Update: Day 9

Water parameters:
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate <5ppm

No water changes since Day 1.

I’m planning to increase the bioload slightly tomorrow. Will need your opinions: RCS or dwarf corydoras?

If it’s shrimps, I’m planning 10-20 of them; for the corydoras, maybe 6-8?

I may also try out a mini project involving H.Pinnatifida if I can get Tropica 1-2 Grow ones and some pebbles to super glue or tie them onto.

Will update more soon!


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (30 Aug 2018)

The shrimps don't add to the bioload much at all but I would still do them first to build up the stocking slowly. The thought of adding 8 Corys to 2 otos scares me a little though as it's a big jump in ammonia for the tank. Could you add 4 corys one week do a load of tests and add 4 the next week?


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## azawaza (3 Sep 2018)

Matt @ ScapeEasy said:


> The shrimps don't add to the bioload much at all but I would still do them first to build up the stocking slowly. The thought of adding 8 Corys to 2 otos scares me a little though as it's a big jump in ammonia for the tank. Could you add 4 corys one week do a load of tests and add 4 the next week?



That’s what I did. Solid advice, Matt.
Stocked a little, then waited for one or two days whilst constantly monitoring the water for signs of ammonia and nitrite. Then stocked again progressively, each time in minute quantities.

Tank Update: Day 14 

Water parameters:
- Nitrite 0ppm
- Nitrate <5ppm

Lifestock added since last update:
- pygmy corydoras x05
- fire red cherry shrimps x08
- horned nerite snail x03
- celestial pearl danio x06
- dario dario x01

Plants added since last update:
- H. pinnatifida (attached to pumice stone) 
(NB: forgot to mention I have Hydrocotyle tripartita on wabi-kusa in my previous threads)

Equipment added:
- Stainless steel mesh guard for 13mm inlet

Will post a FTS once the lights go on later


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## jameson_uk (3 Sep 2018)

azawaza said:


> About the nerite snails, I had a few in my previous 3 feet tank and they seem to be too large for this current one, me thinks. Are there any smaller snails around?


Horned nerites are much smaller than zebra ones (probably about 1cm) and I think look nicer.  I have three in a 22l shrimp tank and they are happy enough


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## azawaza (3 Sep 2018)

Day 14 update continued:
FTS, as promised.


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## azawaza (3 Sep 2018)

There’s still some room to play with on the midground right of the tank where the Xmas moss are.
I’m thinking of a thick bushy rosette kind of plant.
Could S.repens work?
Thinking of super gluing the stems to rocks or wood, like what I did with the H.pinnatifida; would that work?

And yesterday I promised myself- no more plants!


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (3 Sep 2018)

Lol I just bought S. Repens today... I also promised myself no more plants...


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## azawaza (4 Sep 2018)

Tank Update: Day 15

I went to the LFS and couldn’t find enough S.repens so I purchased a small patch of grown-out Glosso instead.

I read somewhere that Glosso tends to grow a tad tall in low light, so perhaps I could use it as a midground plant to contrast with the Xmas moss.

As I do not have substrate in my tank, I decided to attach the underside of the patch to pumice stones via aquatic superglue.




Had some spare Matrix biomedia so I thought: why not? Didn’t have to use the scissors in the end as the roots were not too long.




Stones were sorted according to size...




Nice green lushy pile!




Pardon me nails; should have gone for a manicure first ha.




Hopefully they sink and not float!




I’ll give the glue thirty minutes to work its magic then the Glosso patch will go through QT, just like all my plants have to.

My plant QT procedure are as such:
1) Soak for 30 min in anti-snail solution
2) Thorough rinse
3) Soak for 30 min in mixture of Paraguard and Algexit solutions
4) Thorough rinse, final.

I’ll update how the patch looks like later, if things succeed. Heck, I’ll even update if things go horribly wrong. The process matters in this hobby, sometimes much more profoundly so than the end-product.


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## azawaza (4 Sep 2018)

Tank Update: Day 15 (continued)

It worked! 



 
Fits snugly where I planned it would. And the Matrix biomedia would augment (albeit a little) bio filtration of the tank too, right? Hmmm, could this mean I should stock more fish?



 
My head says no more plants but my heart feels just one more. Perhaps in the (near) future? But, for now, I’ll just leave the tank alone and await the coming of winter, i mean algae.


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## azawaza (5 Sep 2018)

I tried to resist but failed.

Thought of an elaborate plan to have another stem plant in my tank without the use of substrate.

Anyone wants to guess what it is?

Clue:


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## azawaza (5 Sep 2018)

3..2..1

Time for guessing has expired.

The idea: have one stem plant without using substrate.

The challenge:
utilise existing items available at home. Only plants can be purchased.

The approach:




Existing items: Seachem Matrix, transparent plastic container, aquatic super glue. Choose small stones to mimic plant substrate then dump into container.





Purchased a marimo moss ball. Use glue to stick pieces of it to the container.




Purchased another plant: L.hippuridoides




Carefully plant so as not to damage the stems and roots.




Insert said plant (with attached aparatus) into aquascape.

FTS Day 16:




Only time will tell if they grow well.


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## tam (5 Sep 2018)

Very clever! I'm seen people use pots before but never masked them so well you can't tell there are there. Smart choice of cover too.

It will be interesting to see how the glosso does long term. It might die back at the base as it grows taller and detach, but it might also get it's roots down and mixed around enough it stays stuck.

It's looking really cool and I like that you can add new plant 'blocks' and move them about if you want.


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (6 Sep 2018)

Interesting idea! Please keep us posted as to how the plants do!


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## azawaza (6 Sep 2018)

Thanks Tam & Matt for the encouraging validation 

I added more stem plants today using the Matrix+Moss idea from our previous posts.



 
Things used in this mini-project: Super glue, Matrix, strip of sponge, ceramic plant holder, moss balls, stem plants.



 
Will need ID for these two plants. Crossing my fingers that both are aquatic...



 
Insert plants with sponge into ceramic holder. Leave a bit of roots exposed. Make moss ball into a donut shape.



 
Glue them on!



 
Had spare Matrix and moss so let’s waste not...



 
Like in life, crevices shall be plugged, no?

FTS once lights go on


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## azawaza (6 Sep 2018)

Hidden quite well, I feel:


 

And the Marimo moss on pumice stones:


 



 FTS, as promised


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## azawaza (7 Sep 2018)

Tank Update: Day 18



 
Lots of detritus on the sand and inlet mesh. Will do a clean up this weekend.

No water change since Day 1, just top-ups.



 
Plants from the mini-projects are growing fine.



 
Nitrite 0ppm; nitrate <5ppm. 



 
Stocked one Samurai Gourami and 8 P.gertrudae. The latter to act as dither fish for my CPDs. The former brings the whole bunch of small fishes to the front cos it’s the biggest ‘king’ currently.

I may have to hatch baby brine shrimps if it doesn’t take to frozen and solid food.


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (7 Sep 2018)

Beautiful gourami.. I've always liked those


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## azawaza (9 Sep 2018)

Matt @ ScapeEasy said:


> Beautiful gourami.. I've always liked those



It died after I did 20% water change. Not sure why though. Water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) were fine. It wasn’t eating frozen food so that could be it. Or that it was in a pretty bad shape from the LFS.

Sigh, I really hate lifestock deaths- it just makes you feel lousy as a care-giver. 

My lil boy is gonna be upset when he comes over in a fortnight. Looks like I may have to have the ‘fish heaven’ talk with him soon. Or something more ‘real’. He didn’t really understood or cared fish dying in the past, but lately he is beginning to get more emotional as he grows to understand life. 

How do you break these things to your kid?


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## azawaza (11 Sep 2018)

Tank Update: Day 22




 



 



 

Plants are growing slowly, except the floaters and stem ones. I may trim the stem plants by removing their old bottom regions this weekend.

Added a few more fish:
Cory hasborus
Boraras Briggitae
Asian Rummynose

I’m planning to get a brine shrimp hatchery running soon, to feed them the occasional live food.

I was expecting nitrates to rise a little due to the added bioload but it is still within <5ppm. Nitrite is 0 ppm so the water parameters are fine for now.

Still no sign of algae but some old plant leaves are turning yellow and will need some prunning to prevent DOC build-up. My focus in the coming few weeks will be to encourage healthy slow and steady plant growths.


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (11 Sep 2018)

Sorry to hear about your gourami. Is it possible your plants are adjusting to submerged growth?


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## Iain Sutherland (12 Sep 2018)

Shame about the gourami, they are really fussy about soft water and mature tanks. They are also generally in poor condition from the lfs as they don't travel well.
Stunning fish once settled though. 

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


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## azawaza (12 Sep 2018)

Look-back: evolution of this tank [Part 1]

[Warning: Long post]

I realised something as I took some time digging through old pictures of my previous tanks. It seems that my scapes don’t  involve much wood nor rocks.

Case in point, my very first 36x20x24cm tank:



 
Not the best of beginner scapes but that absence of hardscape to fill the void left as focal points (rule of thirds etc.) has made me a better aquascaper I feel. Because I had (and still am) to learn and predict how fast and tall certain plants grow.

Also, due to the lack of contrasting ‘rough’ wood or rock texture, I had to be mindful of leaf shapes, sizes, texture and colour; these all come into play to make certain plants stand out more than the rest.

I have deep admiration for Dutch scapers in this sense. 

In the next few series of posts, I’ll try to recount and outline the evolution of this current tank, in order to relate my experience and mistakes. Perhaps some lessons could be learned from them.

***

I started off this tank by deciding on a layout: it was going to be island-style with sand surrounding it. I envision a tropical underwater jungle growing out of an island (who leaves in a pineapple underneath the sea?).

So, since it was going to be low tech, I considered Anubias Nana as the ‘base’ plant; these would act as the barrier or boundary that separates the beach from the jungle itself.



 
I knew there were different types of Anubias but it was only during this process of setting up my aquascape that I became more aware of the nuances of each one of them. For example, there’s the normal version (big leaves, is it Barteri?) with dark green leaves, then another variant has medium size leaves smaller than the big ones, then another version of that has brighter coloured leaves, then another has smaller leaves (Nana petite) etc.

So knowing the various differences and purchasing a few to try out which goes where allowed me to train my eyes into designing a scape which could be aesthetically pleasing.

Lesson learnt: Experiment, invest a little. Get to know the physical details of your plants and plan your scape accordingly before even starting it. You can have a nice scape without wood or rocks 

[End of Part 1, to be continued...]


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## azawaza (14 Sep 2018)

Matt @ ScapeEasy said:


> Sorry to hear about your gourami. Is it possible your plants are adjusting to submerged growth?



Yes, it is possible. Nonetheless, I like to trim off leaves than don’t do well, especially those not new-growth ones so that more resources can be transported to the shoots or roots of the growing plant.


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## azawaza (14 Sep 2018)

Looking back: evolution of this tank [Part 2]

[Warning: Long post]

In setting up a scape or fish tank, sometimes (no matter how experienced you are) one may make a few mistakes or encounter hiccups. It is inevitable that you overlook some minor thing or some kind of trouble transpires. Hence, it is a God-sent that such a forum like UKAPS (and of course others too) exists. When one is at a wit’s end, and being a beginner who knows close to nothing about plants or algae or whatever that seems rocket science at first glance, the quick technical know-how of veterans who have been in the hobby could prove vital to the success of your setup.

In my case, it was an assumption that proved costly in the beginning.




This was Version 1.0 of my scape. I had all the plants quarantined for a few days and was ready to put sand in (yes, sand could go in later: that’s the beauty of using only sand as your substrate- they don’t cloud the water as much as aquasoil or dirt). Which I then did.





All of the plants were purchased from a nearby LFS. Except for the floaters on the water surface, they were all Anubias. I wanted to have another different plant for the background, to break the monotony of Anubias monopoly, so lo and behold my excitement when I encountered the said background plant. It was a fern, I had never seen it nor used it in my previous set-ups and it had ‘leaves’ (fronds?) of a particularly intricate design. A sucker for unique patterns in an aquarium, my first instinct was to purchase a few bunch which were all tied onto blocks of wood.

A few days in, some of their leaves started to break and shed off. It was strange, I thought, because the Anubias were going strong, even the floaters were forming new growths!

Then, to my horror, the Internet revealed what the plant really was: Peacock Fern.

It was semi-aquatic, a swamp plant and would rot when submerged in an aquatic environment.

Disappointed, I disposed all of them into the trash bin (money down the drain, sobs) and began pondering of a back-up low light plant as a substitute.

Often in this hobby, we seek out plants of novelty, to challenge ourselves or be a tad different, more exotic from the crowd. But sometimes, that same old boring plant, the tried and tested so to speak, could be the more suitable one for the parameters of your tank.

Indeed, Java Fern was that plant which saved the day for me. Not my favourite but I had limited choices due to a lack of substrate.




My story did not end here, because while at the LFS searching for Java Fern of suitable height for my scape, my curiousity for new plants engulfed me. I feel in love with Bucep!

I also had a go with H.tripartita on wabi-kusa and xmas moss when initially I had wanted to stick simply with Anubias as mid ground plants.

My only gripe from this experience is the unethical business practice of selling unlabelled non-aquatic plants. It has become a mission of mine to advise beginners at LFS these days to reconsider if I notice they have in their hands any non-aquatic plants.

Lessons Learnt:
- research, plan and ask around when shopping for plants, especially those you have never had experience with
- it is fine to go with the tried and tested; better boring yet safe than exotic with horror stories
- don’t let setbacks stop you; work around it and be creative: experiment, try new things out
- help others who wish to be helped in the hobby, at LFS or in forums like this; do pass your knowledge and experience to someone who needs it more 

[End of Part 2, to be continued...]


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (15 Sep 2018)

I too have been caught out with non aquatic plants... definately agree with trying to educate stores on this one! 

I also massively agree with going with the tried and tested. Also sticking to easy plants. The amount of time and money that goes into growing any other plants is just not worth it for me and you can create just as stunning tank without them in my (and many others!) oppinion.

Looking forward to your next update!


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## dw1305 (15 Sep 2018)

Hi all,





Matt @ ScapeEasy said:


> I too have been caught out with non aquatic plants... definately agree with trying to educate stores on this one!


It really p*sses me off. Unfortunately we have a load of threads where people have been sold <"_Fittonia">, <"Selaginella">, <"Dracaena">, <"Ophiopogon">_ etc.

cheers Darrel


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## zozo (15 Sep 2018)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,It really p*sses me off. Unfortunately we have a load of threads where people have been sold <"_Fittonia">, <"Selaginella">, <"Dracaena">, <"Ophiopogon">_ etc.
> 
> cheers Darrel



Lately i started a discussion about it in the pet section of a large mutli market. The shop clerck absolutely agreed and said he informed managment about the customers complaining.

The managers vision on this is: See it as the flowers we sell, they die eventualy and need to be replaced with new ones. Still customers find it beautifull and buy them. Same goes for these non aqautic plants in an aqaurium, they are temporary ornamental decoration that needs to be replaced ones in a while. And so they just keep on selling them.. It seems there obviously is a market for it with more non complaining customers that indeed doesn't give a flying figure. Because they like the looks and replace the plant with a new one after it gets unsightly. Those that complain are likely accused of not doing their homework properly.. 

Thus the shop simply throws the resposibility into the customers lap. And this is actualy a rather common managers vision for 90% of the shops out there unfortunately and not only regarding plants. Rather obvious, we still see people walk out a store with a bowl and a goldfish in a bag, don't we.. It's not their job to educate, thier job is making a living by selling. 

Is there anybody around here that ever got asked about their aqaurium and if it is suitable after choosing a fish in the LFS.? I guess not, they sell you what ever you ask, what you do with it after you payed is your bussines..


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## Tim Harrison (15 Sep 2018)

I guess it'd be okay if they were labelled correctly as non-aquatic plants. Tropica sell them in their blister pack range but they are clearly labelled as non-aquatic ornamental species.


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## azawaza (15 Sep 2018)

zozo said:


> Lately i started a discussion about it in the pet section of a large mutli market. The shop clerck absolutely agreed and said he informed managment about the customers complaining.
> 
> The managers vision on this is: See it as the flowers we sell, they die eventualy and need to be replaced with new ones. Still customers find it beautifull and buy them. Same goes for these non aqautic plants in an aqaurium, they are temporary ornamental decoration that needs to be replaced ones in a while. And so they just keep on selling them.. It seems there obviously is a market for it with more non complaining customers that indeed doesn't give a flying figure. Because they like the looks and replace the plant with a new one after it gets unsightly. Those that complain are likely accused of not doing their homework properly..
> 
> ...



It is rather sad, zozo, from the rationale of such business owners because I feel it is kind of myopic. In the long run, beginners who have tried and failed (then give up) may exit the hobby. Over time, this could bring about a decline in long-term interest of the hobby, perhaps possibly affecting consumer demand and future profit-margins.

The potential and reward of this beloved hobby of ours is, if you ponder deeply, immerse: you get the chance to experience and learn, while exploring creatively, a multitude of disciplines which are related to Biology, Chemistry, Art & Design, DIY and the list goes on. 

If only business owners can see the ‘long game’ and sacrifice their ‘knight/horse’ for an opening to checkmate in five. Then perhaps we could see more youths entering the hobby, without that feeling of being ‘cheated’ upon the first hurdle.


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## zozo (15 Sep 2018)

Yes it is indeed a sad bussines model..

Same go buy clothes but you don't realy have an eye for fashion.. Than you walk into a store.. And a 19 year old cheap labor beauty queen asks you "Can i help you sir?" If you say Yes you are handed down to a teenagers good taste and long life experience.. What ever you put on she will say you look darn handsome in it and 85% of the time you walk out the store dressed like a clown with bad taste looking like a fool. 

Also same as taking an incurance. Than is said "Oh this you have to insure this furniture for at least a 100.000.
So you pay for that.. But whats not realy told is you have to revalidate it each year again. Because if you hous burns down after 5 years and you like to claim your 100.000.. They will say, "No way".. It's 5 years old, that 's not worth a 100.000 anymore.. Here you have 10.000 and be happy!. So you payed 5 years vor top noch insurance without taking economic devaliation into account.. It realy happens a lot.. If you don't do your homework, you get taken for a ride..


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## Tim Harrison (15 Sep 2018)

For what it's worth...the sign of a responsible grower/retailer with it's eyes firmly set on the long game...



I

And the label on the back reads...



IMG_1406 by Tim Harrison, on Flickr


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## dw1305 (15 Sep 2018)

Hi all,





azawaza said:


> If only business owners can see the ‘long game’ and sacrifice their ‘knight/horse’ for an opening to checkmate in five. Then perhaps we could see more youths entering the hobby, without that feeling of being ‘cheated’ upon the first hurdle.


That is really it, I spend a lot of time on other forums tell people that actively growing plants are major single factor that makes fish keeping easier, but then you have the issue that retailers are selling non-aquatic plants, that have no chance of growing in the aquarium, and that all the plant suppliers are growing plants emersed, so that they have to adapt to growing under-water in the tank.

I understand that economics are always the driving force in commerce, but the aquatics industry seems to suffer disproportionally from the peddlers of disinformation, snake oil and magic bullets, and this can only be to the detriment of the whole hobby in the longer term.

cheers Darrel


----------



## zozo (15 Sep 2018)

dw1305 said:


> I understand that economics are always the driving force in commerce, but the aquatics industry seems to suffer disproportionally from the peddlers of disinformation, snake oil and magic bullets, and this can only be to the detriment of the whole hobby in the longer term.



Somehow simmular with cosmetics and the alternative medicine industry. Never mind the food industry..  

And this is not a hoaks.


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## azawaza (15 Sep 2018)

Dang, Mr zozo. Think you may have just spoilt my daily breakfast of coco crunch and choc milk...

Oh well, one step closer to being Iron Man?


----------



## DeepMetropolis (16 Sep 2018)

zozo said:


> Is there anybody around here that ever got asked about their aqaurium and if it is suitable after choosing a fish in the LFS.? I guess not, they sell you what ever you ask, what you do with it after you payed is your bussines..



Yes here they do, some shops about fish and size about substrate for cory's and so on, not for plants. Sometimes they lack knowledge and give wrong info but thet try at least..


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## azawaza (16 Sep 2018)

Tank Update: Day 27

I did 20% water change and trimmed unhealthy leaves, and also got rid of ‘parent’ floaters.

For the two stem plants, I took them out and discarded their bottom stems.



 
Lush green plants with clean (for now ha) white sand.



 
As long as the stem plants keep growing new leaves, I’m satisfied and happy 

Should I give the Glossostigma a trim? Or just let them creep up a bit more?



 
Fattest two fish in the tank: otto cats. I can’t remember which is which but my girlfriend calls one Mario, the other Luigi.



 
There’s a lil IKEA recliner in front of the tank. Beside it is a CB2 bookshelf with short stories books I should start on. Sorry Carver, you gotta wait.


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## dw1305 (16 Sep 2018)

Hi all,





azawaza said:


> pygmy corydoras x05


_Corydoras habrosus_, nice.

cheers Darrel


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## azawaza (24 Sep 2018)

Tank Update: Day 36

I have this little pot of pothos on my balcony and suddenly an idea hit me 




 
Snip one long creeping stem...



 
Dump into tank.



 
Wonder if new roots will grow and if the submerged leaves will survive...



 
If it creeps upwards over time, it’ll look super cool!


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## tam (24 Sep 2018)

The submerged leaves won't survive. Take the bottom leaf or two leaves off and lift it up so only the stem is in the tank. It should grow roots from the old leaf joints. Keep in mind it loves to eat nitrogen and suck up nutrients so once it gets going you may need to up your dosing.


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## azawaza (24 Sep 2018)

tam said:


> The submerged leaves won't survive. Take the bottom leaf or two leaves off and lift it up so only the stem is in the tank. It should grow roots from the old leaf joints. Keep in mind it loves to eat nitrogen and suck up nutrients so once it gets going you may need to up your dosing.



Thanks Tam, great timely advice. Does this mean I can stock more fish or increase feeding?


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## tam (24 Sep 2018)

azawaza said:


> Thanks Tam, great timely advice. Does this mean I can stock more fish or increase feeding?



Within reason yes, any fast growing plants help and emersed plants (including floaters) particularly as they aren't CO2 limited and will grow fast. Pothos is often particularly recommended for nitrate removal. Keep in mind it will need to establish a root system and adjust to living in a tank before you see the benefits i.e. you'll see it actively growing ....bigger and bigger and bigger. The more plant mass the bigger the nutrient uptake


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## Aqua360 (25 Sep 2018)

azawaza said:


> Tank Update: Day 27
> 
> I did 20% water change and trimmed unhealthy leaves, and also got rid of ‘parent’ floaters.
> 
> ...



This looks great!


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## azawaza (7 Oct 2018)

Tank update: Day I’ve lost count but less than 60?



 
Lucky bamboo + Pothos on the right. Perhaps Peace Lily on the left soon. Doesn’t look nice for now; maybe better in the future after a carefully fully thought-through re-scape.


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## azawaza (12 Oct 2018)

Tank Update: Day 53 



 
I added Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily) and Aglaonema (Chinese Evergreens).



 
Next and final plant? Perhaps a Wandering Jew; it’s one of my favourite terrestrial plant despite it’s rather sad (anti-Semetic?) common name.

Do recommend other plants that could grow out of water too if you have one in mind, cheers!


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## azawaza (21 Oct 2018)

Tank Update: Day 62

Finally found the final piece to my terrestrial plant ‘puzzle’! I’ve been looking high and low for these plants at my nearest local plant nursery and today I found them 



 
Wandering Jew (Purple textured plant)



 
Sits pretty nicely sandwiched in the middle I’d say. Brings an interesting contrast beside the 
Aglaonema.



 
It’s like a little mini garden  I’m contemplating standing lights for them if there’s low or no new growth in the next few weeks. Hopefully the natural sunlight would suffice since they don’t need direct sunlight.

One last update: all my snails have died in the tank, and a little green spot algae appeared on the front of the glass. I’ll either get a couple soon or just learn to bear with a little algae. Pretty lazy to scrap it off manually haha!


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## azawaza (21 Oct 2018)

Tank Update: FTS Day 62

Was waiting for the lights to come on, enjoy!



 
We named the betta ‘Sky’. It’s enjoying patrolling its domain at the front of the tank, where none of its subjects dare to roam these days. Well, except Mario and Luigi cos these two ottos had first dips and they too chill to bother about other tank ongoings.


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## azawaza (18 Nov 2018)

Tank Update: Day 90

Several events happened since the last update:

1) Tank and cabinet had to be relocated due to water pipe leakage behind the wall  
Current temporary location does not have enough natural light. It is shaded by a wall which is good for keeping algae at bay though.

2) Some terrestrial plants died due to the shift. Peace lilies and Wandering Jew were casualties. In their place, I added Dwarf Papyrus and Dwarf Water Lettuce.

3) During the shift, a few plants were shifted (pardon the pun!) so the aquascape looks a tad messy, like an underwater jungle. I’m just too lazy to do a rescape or make minor adjustments heh.

4) I had issues with flow which resulted in a bit of algae formation on the Bolbitis (green beard algae) so I did manual removal, also some filter maintenance and reduced the lengths of my inflow and outflow tube pipings. No more algae now 

5) Due to the increased flow, Sky (betta) needed a low flow area in front of the tank to access his food so I added a LEGO boat (stole my son’s) to achieve this purpose.

6) Made changes to Water Change routine, fert regime and light duration. Water change changed (sorry, another pun) to monthly from fortnightly. Fert regime changed from PMDD to 75% of EI due to terrestrial plants. Light duration increased to 7 hours, broken into 3 hours from 2-5pm with an hour break before another 4 hours from 6-10pm. 

7) Lifestock: had a few deaths with the P.Getrudae and horned nerite. Augmented horned nerite snails (5); I don’t plan to increase fish lifestock nor add shrimps (cherries have all perished, perhaps due to water parameters when added way earlier before tank has matured).

If you have read up to this point, thanks!

Here’s your reward: pictures 



 
Sky is one happy betta! He loves flow and will stick to the front of the tank, and best of all, he greets you when you return home (the tank faces the main door now, so it’s really a welcoming sight).



 
Terrestrial plants rooting underwater  



 
The water lettuce has long roots too. And the LEGO boat actually floats!



 
I hope these dwarf papyrus plants survive. I may add more creeper plants in the future.



 
FTS. Nothing to shout about but the plants are surviving, lifestock looks healthy and algae is being held at bay so I guess everything is good at the moment.


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## azawaza (2 May 2019)

Tank Update: Day ‘I’ve lost count!’

The Betta went to fish heaven while the plants grew into a crazy jungle/swamp and the tank unfortunately fell into disarray from neglect.

So, a weekend back, the girlfriend decided to take matters into her own hands (literally) and somehow midway through her cussing (we always do when we do mega maintenance/rescape, don’t we? haha) I decided to help. Something stirred again inside: an urge to restart a new.

We used whatever plants that could be salvaged, found a driftwood and bought a handful of new plants (mostly slow growers); basically threw everything in (with aesthetics in mind, or at the back of ours- we tried to, I’d presume) like carrots into a stew and prayed for the best.

Oh and one more thing: you may not know this but this tank has been sitting on top of an IKEA metal cabinet since Day 1! We added wooden stumps as support below it just to be on the safe side though.



 
Was hesitant it could work but it did. I won’t advise you do the same; unless you love things risqué.



 
FTS. Nothing exciting. Dirty glass outlet gets dirtier; tank owner, lazier.



 
Side view from the sofa. Good place to just chill after a hard day’s night.



 
I wanted a Kuhli loach to play in the sand but my girlfriend has a phobia of snakes and everything snake-like (yes, ironic isn’t it?), and I couldn’t convince her that a loach isn’t an eel. This wide sandy pit is currently owned by Rex, our German/Holland Ram. Sometimes his little Pygmy Corydoras (consorts) join in the digging while the (bishops) otocinclus pair stand guard somewhere near.



 
Emergent plants: from previous experience, the Pothos do extremely well emersed but their stems cannot get wet as they rot fast and affect water quality. I have Wandering Jew growing well too from an office tank but for this rescape project, we promised ourselves to keep things minimal.



 
There you go, hope you enjoyed this update. Keep on fishkeeping everyone!


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## azawaza (4 May 2019)

Good news!

I found a nearby LFS which sells live daphnia 

This has opened my possibility of adding lifestock which requires live food into my tank.

I’m thinking of Scarlet Badis for a start.

Any other suggestions, mates? They must be small, no bigger than 5cm preferably though.


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## tam (4 May 2019)

For summer, fill a bucket with tank water, leave it outside, empty a part bag of daphnia into it and you should have a colony until it gets cold in autumn.

Under 5cm is a pretty big group of options!


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## azawaza (4 Jun 2019)

An update: saw a bit of algae on the glass so I countered this with more plants.









Green jungle mess, but I like it


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## zozo (5 Jun 2019)

Looking good..  Tho for the Cyperus haspan it might be a tad to deep.. In the pond trade this plant is recomended for Zone 1, that's marginal, wet feet only, maybe in 4 inch of water. I guess planted to deep will be problematic because the plant likely grows no submersed form leaves. New growth might succumb to CO² deficiency. But that you will find out soon enough, if new growth melts away before it reaches the surface. But i honnestly have never tried to grow it myself any deeper than recomended, would be different if it had a zone 2 label.

Anyway if not, you might have better luck with the Cyperus helferi, this cyperus is known to have a submersed growform and can be planted much deeper. Till now the only Cyperus that goes around in the aquarium trade. But also than still CO² addition is recomended till it breakes the surface. You could consider trying to grow it large enough in a pot outside the tank before planting it in relative deep water..

https://tropica.com/en/plants/plantdetails/Cyperushelferi(133A)/4574


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (6 Jun 2019)

I can't recommend Cyperus in a low tech setup... mine really didn't last long...


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## azawaza (6 Jun 2019)

Thanks zozo & Matt for the comments.

Well the Dwarf Papyrus/ Cyperus haspan was a rather impulsive project of the distant past. I was trying out various emergent plants for future planted tank use; so far I have success with Pothos and Wandering Jew (grows like wildfire out of the office nano tank).

On the current scape, I don’t quite like the plant arrangement. Something is amiss so I’m gonna get a few more plants (limit to three hopefully) and do a bit of mini rescaping.


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## azawaza (6 Jun 2019)

So some updates after the rescape.

Spent a few bucks on a few moss on rocks, Java fern tridents on wood, snails and cherry shrimps.



 
FTS. There was an abrupt end to the ‘skyline’/‘canopy’ on the left most side so I decided to make the ‘uphill’ curve a bit more naturally sloping, much akin to a hillside slope full of vegetation.



 
Side view, my favourite view from the sofa where I usually fall asleep during after-work power naps (getting old, need more sleep).



 
Top: Pothos and Hydrocotyle? doing rather well, acting as nitrate absorbers; their roots are hidden behind the ‘foliage’ of leaves. The rocket kilifish love this area. I guess it’s where the CPDs sleep at night too.



 
I hope it grows slow while outside hectic life zooms past; time passes much while we stare and fiddle with our tanks, no?


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (6 Jun 2019)

Love this


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## azawaza (29 Mar 2020)

I had to move a month back and in between living, the tank got sidetracked during the second half of 2019–my gf left me too, but she let me have the tank, so all is well—so today I did something I should’ve done months ago: restart my aquarium.




All flora and fauna perish. Sand in the water, all we are is sand in the water...

Took me the entire day, but the chores kept me safe at home, away from Covid-19. See, this hobby keeps ya safe!




Cloudy water, not gonna fret. Been here, done that. It will pass. I rescued some plants, hope they survive the night in this ‘ICU’.

After taking the above pic, I couldn’t stand sitting at home so I put on my surgical mask and went to the nearby LFS to get some Java Fern.




And the water has cleared! Eheim Ecco Pro 130 is still as reliable as before 

I plan to get more plants. Always add lifestock last. Will wait for the plants to fill in. And am not going to test my water, f**k that s**t.

Plants > Everything else = happy aquarium!

Gonna try to find me some bucep tmr.

This could be a zebra oto + pygmy cory tank, but I’m still deliberating so we’ll see.

More updates soon


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## azawaza (30 Mar 2020)

Plants Update, Final!

Okay, I am not going to add more plants: exhausted my budget due to the bucep and Tropica cryptocorynes.




 
cryptocoryne crispatula at the back, with c.parva foreground right; xmas moss on stone, foreground; bucep (unsure which sp.) midground; floaters, a must 

I’m predicting a cryptocoryne melt so...

Just wait. 

Patience is an aquarist’s best friend, far more required than that weekly (twice monthly, max) water-change.

Won’t update any time soon. Ciao.


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## ReefLewis (30 Mar 2020)

Love your tank. Looks awesome. Big fan of clear backgrounds as well

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk


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## Jayefc1 (30 Mar 2020)

Looks really nice mate im a proper fan of this minimal look just so clean and nice


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## azawaza (31 Mar 2020)

Let’s discuss stocking options...

2 zebra otos 
6 pygmy cory
6 clown kili
1 horned nerite snail
10 cherry shrimps

or keep a species-only tank?

I saw two kinds of fish that made my fish-mind twerk the other day. First was some beige Japanese rice fish while the another was Tucano tetra. 

The former is small, costs about 4 bucks a pop and has cute blue eyes.

The latter is slightly bigger, costs 10 bucks a fish and is so rare in the hobby.

Tough decisions to make soon. Whatcha guys think?


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (31 Mar 2020)

I don’t think I could turn down those Tucano if they were available to me...
Seriously fish lists them as 15 to 17mm which is absolutely tiny! Are these the right species?


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## ReefLewis (31 Mar 2020)

Yeah those tucano look awesome. I would buy them if they were available to me... never seen them before.


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## azawaza (2 Apr 2020)

1) The 10 Gallon Stocking Dilemma 

The human heart in conflict with... fish, haha! Sorry Faulkner fans. So, since we’re near the ding-dongs of doom (read: covid19), let’s do some elimination to narrow down potential stocking candidates.

First off, I’m gonna go the species-only way. Meaning no algae cleanup crew, no community tank. Not sure if this will work but we’ll see. Thoughts?

Second, we’ll work between keeping a low bioload vs keeping livestock quantity near behavioural requirements (e.g say min. of 6 for gregarious XYZ species), while taking into account natural habitat parameters. Workable?

Lastly, it must be easy on the wallet due to the impending global pandemic-induced recession. 30 bucks is good but 50 may be stretching the limit, digging into my wee retirement funds (hyperbole?).

Processing candidates...

While we wait, allow me to update you with:

2) Tank updates


 
Added another two plants: bucep sp. and anubias minima.
I’m telling myself that’s the last plant I’m buying but you know that I know that you know that I’m a liar who’s not good at lying.



 
I don’t wanna go full blown green lush like the previous tank iterations. I wanna have some control this time. Let’s set a lil goal here: if those cryptocorynes grow and don’t melt, say by the end of April 2020, then it’s a wee success for me. Get that crypt trophy ready!

Still processing candidates...

Think I’ll update you soon, once the results are out. Old computer, needs more RAM (not a pun; not the fish). Cheers.


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## azawaza (3 Apr 2020)

Stocking candidates progress:
100% completed.

Thank you for waiting.

It took a while but here are the results:

1) Betta - single male

https://ivenbetta.com/collections/show-betta

This LFS is a bus ride away from my place and they breed/sell healthy wow-wow bettas. Though at twice (or more, if you’re into competition grade ones) the normal market rate of those in sick plastic cups, which always makes me sad whenever I visit shops selling bettas in terrible conditions.

I’ll need to reduce my tank’s flow though, but I have Eheim double taps so no problemo there.

2) Pygmy corydoras - a group of six to ten 

https://m.facebook.com/AquaticAvenue/

My go to LFS, which is one twenty-minute subway ride away, for dwarf bottom dwellers because they quarantine their livestock and house them in species-only tanks with sand for the corydoras (some LFS use gravel, which I read somewhere is bad, why?) 

I have a packet of shirmp sinking food left so food is lock and ready should I get these cute little guys. They are cheap at less than two bucks a pop and the sand substrate is just perfect for them to rummage about.

3) pseudomugil luminatus aka red neon paskai - a group of five to seven

https://m.facebook.com/pages/category/Aquatic-Pet-Store/thataquarium/posts/

This LFS is a ten-minute walk from my apartment and I saw they have these fish in stock at two bucks a piece. Love their blue eyes. Though if I get this, I’m tempted to get CPDs since the paskai dwarf rainbows will act as dithers for the CPDs to emerge from hiding and both will complement each other in terms of colours: yellow, orange, red.

Decisions. Your thoughts?


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## kishan313 (8 Jun 2020)

Amazing scape, and great to see your journey! What did you go for in terms of stocking?


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## azawaza (16 Aug 2021)

Restarting!




Moving the tank to a new location where it doesn’t receive sunlight from a window.

More updates soon...


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## azawaza (17 Aug 2021)

*Tank-Rescue Report*

Not a lot of plants survived in the previous setup (had a large BBA breakout during lockdown so I switched off the lights for weeks), only two types did: anubias nana petite and java fern.




Added a concoction of snail remover, anti-algae meds and a secret sauce to the mix. I’ll probably use these to fill crevices between hardscape, though I doubt it’ll be enough. So, I got some Xmas moss as insurance:




Been fun keeping them moist for a few days. I’m in no hurry and don’t have a plan of what kind of tank I want this time. Will figure things out as time goes by.

Also, saved one little fish which survived the ‘pandemic blackout apocalypse’. Was shocked cos I thought everything perished. Must be one hell of a Mel Gibson character this fella!



Not sure if he’ll make it, looks frail. My evil half whispers ‘use him for fish-in cycling’. Hmmm, I don’t know. Should I though? Should have taken Fish Ethics 101 in college... Whatcha guys think?

Anyway, thanks for reading. Shopping around for hardscape next. Will report back soon! Cheers.


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## azawaza (18 Aug 2021)

*Rock will never die!*

I don’t usually use rocks or stones in my scapes, due to weight and difficulty in finding the ‘right’ ones, but today I bit the bullet and used my gut-feel. Woke up this morning thinking of cliffs, so I kept searching for cliff-like rocks with similar grain at the nearby LFS.




Not set in stone, I’ll be playing with their arrangements for a while. There’s some height and depth, I can work with these.




That little area at the back behind the rocks will be elevated and reserved for stem plants. 

I’m not sure about using wood though. Will have to think things through and wait for the muse first. 

Also, I plan to use lotsa sand in the other more open area. No carpet plants for me; I’m not a fan of grass-like scapes, however beautiful they may make as a focal point.

That’s all today. Thanks for reading this update. More? Soon! Cheers.


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## noodlesuk (18 Aug 2021)

Wow, that's a beautiful setup, so clean and simple. Very inspiring too.


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## azawaza (18 Aug 2021)

*Stop tinkering!*

I hate this part of scaping: hardscape placement. So many different possibilities! Which to use?! Urgh...

Decided to just get on with this:



I may stock the tank with pygmy cories so the little caves could provide hiding places in between sand-grazing.




Left-side view. Quite charming me thinks.




Right. I prefer to have my inlet/outlet here but with the electrical plugs so nearby, I’ll shift both the former to the other side.




Hopefully the 3kg substrate I have is enough to fill the back plant-out area. 

Next up, decisions on wood. I’m thinking using small pieces to cover the ‘cracks’ found between rocks. If these wood run over onto the plant-out soil area, they’d provide planting lanes too. And more crevices to stuff epiphytes into!

That’s all for today, folks. Gonna take my time to piece this jigsaw  Thanks for your views and kind words of encouragement!


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## azawaza (19 Aug 2021)

*Not out of the woods, yet.*

Got some pieces of wood to fill the crevices between them rocks.

Flash boiled them for an hour, then the itchy fingers aquascaper disease caught me:




Something like an island with stem plants out the middle?




Nicely tucked in there.




May have to glue some pieces together though.




I don’t know if this will work. But I do know I have to soak these wood further for a few days. Off they go into the tea-coloured 
water bucket!

Final pic:



Imagine finding lil critters in the morning while bending over, them looking at you as you eye everyone all back.

Next up, while waiting for the wood to soak, I’ll be cleaning the glass pipes (please don’t cha break, doi) and preparing them epiphytes. More updates in a few days. Cheers!


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## azawaza (21 Aug 2021)

*Of false starts and imperfections*.

My Ikea PS cabinet can hold 60kg. Means I had to work within constraints. Means first plans got thrown out the pram. Means soil and sand needed to be rationed. Yes, weighed like how one would with flour when baking a cake.

Then there was the spot of superglue left wide open, untouched by moss. Will the whiteness, a cause for eye sores, ever disappear as the moss grows in? Beats me.

So, five rocks were used. Seven pieces of wood, too. Hmmm, also, seven plant species; all easy growers, found much on most beginners’ lists. I’ll list them when they’ve grown in.




Cloudy water. Nothing the Eheim Eco Pro couldn’t clear come tomorrow.




If these melt, my heart may too...




I could get lil grey rocks to augment the set-up. Perhaps in the future, but for now: plants need tender care. I’ll start with weekly water changes until the stem plants grows in. Then, the commando lone ranger Mel Gibson fish gets thrown into the next phase of battle—tank cycling.

Thanks for reading. Cheers everyone. I made it  Day Zero, weee!


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## azawaza (23 Aug 2021)

*Adding lil details (1 of 2)*

Found grey pumice stones at a local art shop.




I think they’re meant for dioramas but who cares, right? Stones are stones, use them any way you want.




Rinse well before use.




Selection; leftovers may be used in another setup (N+1 tank syndrome symptoms have since appeared, help).




One area around the nana petite that could be augmented with these stones.




Lonely wood branch needs stones.




Here, too.




Adding a stone border to cap the moss would make this right side less sterile-looking.

Resultant images: next post!

Cheers.


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## azawaza (24 Aug 2021)

*Adding lil details (2 of 2)*




Don’t exactly know what I’m doing here.




But it was fun filling up those crevices.




And I’m seeing new green growths! That’s most important.

Also, I won’t be doing fish-in cycles no more. You can say I’m a born-again aquarist. The plan is to do WC on alternate days for a week, then slowly lessen the frequency until the plants have grown in. I’ll only add algae cleaning crew from week 6 onwards.

While waiting, I’ll be setting up a few other tanks adjacent to this one. Will set up a new thread soon. Cheers.


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## tam (24 Aug 2021)

It's looking good! In terms of details - and this is really fussy - I would push a few of those into the sand a bit or sprinkle a bit of extra sand around them so they look like they have been there a while rather than neatly placed on top. You might also consider taking a hammer to a few to give you a size gradient all the way down to smaller. Also, try adding a couple that aren't in the neat row you've places around things e.g. have an inch gap of sand at the end of the piece of wood that sticks out, and then have a little rock. It's just a little too neat at the moment and it should tie the sand portion and the rock/plant portion together more. That is being really fussy though!


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## JellieTG (24 Aug 2021)

azawaza said:


> *Adding lil details (2 of 2)*
> 
> View attachment 173438
> Don’t exactly know what I’m doing here.
> ...


I like it!


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## azawaza (9 Oct 2021)

It’s past 6 weeks, the tank is cycled and (over)stocked; I myself acquired MTS during the wait. Someone somewhere should think up a vaccine for this terrible terrible disease.

Updates soon...

(When the lights go kteek!)


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## azawaza (10 Oct 2021)

MTS tangent (don’t wanna set new threads..) Shout out to IKEA for the cabinet, rack, lamp and print painting.

This spot is perfect, doesn’t get any direct sunlight which I find may increase chances of algae outbreak.

I’ll outline the three nano tanks on the rack in my next post; didn’t really document their conceptions, things just happened, thus the joy of such our hobby of creative living


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## azawaza (11 Oct 2021)

Top-rack pico tank: no filter, low tech. Anthurium, Peace Lily and Pothos plants sit atop three pebbles with their roots dangled into the water column.




Fittonia and moss, with some plants stolen from the main tank.




Houses four Clown Kilifish. Adorable little critters, these.


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## aec34 (11 Oct 2021)

azawaza said:


> Top-rack pico tank: no filter, low tech.


Lovely! Do you change the water at all? Plotting something similar.. 👀


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## azawaza (11 Oct 2021)

aec34 said:


> Lovely! Do you change the water at all? Plotting something similar.. 👀


I’m still monitoring the nitrates. If they don’t reach so high, I’ll probably won’t do any. 

What plants do you plan to grow out the water? I’m still learning which household plant works emersed in a planted aquarium.


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## jameson_uk (11 Oct 2021)

azawaza said:


> View attachment 175285
> Top-rack pico tank: no filter, low tech. Anthurium, Peace Lily and Pothos plants sit atop three pebbles with their roots dangled into the water column.


Looks great. What are the tank dimensions and roughly how much water is in there?


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## aec34 (11 Oct 2021)

azawaza said:


> I’m still monitoring the nitrates. If they don’t reach so high, I’ll probably won’t do any.
> 
> What plants do you plan to grow out the water? I’m still learning which household plant works emersed in a planted aquarium.


I’ve no idea really yet - probably anything lying about! Of tank trimmings, hydrocotyle grows really well for me emersed.


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## azawaza (11 Oct 2021)

jameson_uk said:


> Looks great. What are the tank dimensions and roughly how much water is in there?


I’m not sure really. Don’t have the measurements on hand but it’s smaller than 10 litres for sure. With the hardscape et al. that number’s sure to fall.

Please don’t copy my fishkeeping ethics; I’m trying to keep those plants alive.


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## azawaza (25 Oct 2021)

As promised earlier: the two other tanks on the other rack adjacent to the main tank, which this thread is about (and which we’ll return to upon the conclusion of this post).




Blurry photo’s on purpose. Nothing to see here, move along haha.




This tank is a paludarium tank so it has the potential to be a future paludarium scape, the reason why I was tempted to buy it. For now I have indoor plants hanging out from the water surface. It’s a no filter, no water change setup. Just an mini underwater powerhead to agitate the surface a little, that’s all.

That’s all.


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## Lex_ac.aquarium (25 Oct 2021)

Looks great, love the pond set up with the fittonia


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