# Reditus (return)



## Wolf6 (8 Sep 2020)

While saving up for a larger main tank I decided to start up my old dennerle nano cube again. Last weekend I finished the cabinet, please dont judge  I'm no carpenter, but I needed a cabinet with slider doors that could in theory hold the weight of my 180l tank easily. We wanted slider doors, because its right behind our working desks, and the kids will be keeping their boardgames and drawing stuff in the half I dont use for aquarium stuffs and should be able to get things out of there without us having to move the chairs because of stupid doors . Last night I dug out the tank that had been stored on a shelf for the past 3 years. It still needs a clean, but it looks like it survived being stored for so long without too much damage. So, tech:

- 45x36x34 cm    55 l dennerle scapers tank/nano cube
- 1x dennerle Scapers light
- Pressurized co2, if my old set still works using disposable bottles.
- Eden 511 filter with heater (provided it doesnt leak and still works after being inactive for 3 years). Will probably use the spraybar, but I've got a lily pipe lying around as well.

Hardscape will probably be the seiryu rocks that I've still got lying around, together with some wood. I want an island scape with some sand around it, with the island in the back right corner, as I will be viewing it from my desk most of the time.
Soil, grit and sand will make up the substrate.
Plants: Havent fully decided, but I want mosses (fissidens and fontinalis), blyxa, hairgrass and probably rotala, and some anubias.
Livestock: No idea yet, but I might just end up moving my stock from my bigger tank into this one so I can sell that one and help pay for the bigger one 
Ferts: Some form of all in 1 fert, I'm liking the tropica one this far on my main tank. I cba making my own from powders anymore 

Included a pic of the tank 3 years ago, it had its own thread here too (green refuge). I'll probably get started with some hardscape layouts in the next few days and post the stuff I kind of like here for some feedback


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## Wolf6 (9 Sep 2020)

I found some azalea root in the garden I had been saving, I am liking the look of it. Now to find rocks to suit it.


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## Melll (9 Sep 2020)

That`s a nice shape 👍


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## Wolf6 (9 Sep 2020)

First idea with 2 variations, leaving this one (var1) till tomorrow at least to see if I like it at various moments, and then try something different for a few days and hopefully find one that is best.

Version1, called var2 because I mixxed up the filenames






Version 2:






Open for all criticism and tips. Sand/soil would be a lot higher at the back then this, its just playsand for trying out (dont have a sandbox suited for testing ). Planting would be rotala between back and wood/rock, blyxa between wood/right side, dwarf hair grass rightfront corner, fontinalis and anubias nana for some details here and there, and a few patches of fissidens growing on the wood, but also open for suggestions here. The rest would be sand.


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## Wolf6 (11 Sep 2020)

Found some more pieces of azalea root I'd been saving, nice and dry, but I cant manage to get all the bark off. How bad is it if some bark remains? How do you remove it easily without damaging the wood? I'm not happy with the rock layout yet, especially the smaller rocks at the front will have to go. Do you guys think this layout has potential, or should I just start from scratch?


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## Wolf6 (28 Sep 2020)

Had to put this on hold for a few weeks while I had to focus on reorganising the garden that was getting overgrown  But I got round to testing and cleaning my old filter last weekend. Alas, I ordered a new filter last night, the previous one (old Eden filter) had sprung a leak after not having been used for 3 years,  and kept making noise/bubbles as if it was sucking in air.  Ordered an Oase filtosmart 100, with build in heater. I thought to myself it looked a lot like the Eden filter. I then found out Eden had been bought by Oase, so no wonder they look so similar, it probably is the exact same filter  But thats fine, the previous filter worked well for years, and no heater in the tank on a low budget makes this a no brainer for me. Also ordered some soil, baikal grit, sand, and some glassware. 
I still have a glass diffusor that I havent used in 3 years, do you guys think it will still be fine to use, or should I just order a new one?


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## Deano3 (28 Sep 2020)

Looks great and diffuser should be fine put clean it in bleach solution and boiling water to be safe then use some seachem prime or somethkng similar to clean it afterwards  

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk


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## Geoffrey Rea (28 Sep 2020)

Wolf6 said:


> I still have a glass diffusor that I havent used in 3 years, do you guys think it will still be fine to use, or should I just order a new one?



Deans suggestion is good. If it was stored clean and doesn’t need clearing out I usually just soak the diffuser in RO/distilled water for a couple of hours, then hook it up to the Co2 and give it a test @Wolf6


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## Wolf6 (29 Sep 2020)

Deano3 said:


> Looks great and diffuser should be fine put clean it in bleach solution and boiling water to be safe then use some seachem prime or somethkng similar to clean it afterwards
> 
> Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk


Thanks, I'll definitely do that!


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## Wolf6 (6 Oct 2020)

Plants are ordered, if they're here before the weekend, then saturday is the day I'll set it all up. Ordered the following:
- Hemianthus micranthemoides    
- Ludwigia palustris
- Blyxa japonica    
- Eleocharis acicularis 'Mini'
- Fissidens "miroshaki" 
- Koraalmos Micro" 
- Bucephalandra 'Brownie Helena'" 
- Dwarf coral moss

and some floaters for startup.

And from my existing tank I'll be getting:
- Fissidens fontanus
- Fissidens fox
- Fontinalis antipyretica 
- maybe monte carlo
- maybe anubias nana
- maybe hygrophila corymbosa

Almost


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## Wolf6 (7 Oct 2020)

So attempt 2. The misses likes this better, first is more natural but this is more interesting. Opinions?


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## Wolf6 (19 Oct 2020)

Most of the plants arrived, so I decided to finish mucking about and just settle for one layout. This is the end result. Just Blyxa missing on island, they didnt have it in stock. 
Filled the empty space with some leftover dwarf hairgrass for now. Accidentally blew up some sand with the last waterchange, will fix that tonight with the next change, and even out the sand again. 
Also broke my CO2 S-glass, gonna have to get another at some stage. The way the filter in/out is positioned means I cant put the glass plate down completely. 
I might just make another cover out of acrylic or something thats a few cm shorter, or get/make raised holders. Dont want to risk it without a cover with the cats, its a bit too accesible where it is now. If these lights dont work out, I might get a small twinstar s or aqua medic qube light. But since I still had these, I figured I'd try this first before spending even more money 

Full frontal:


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## Wolf6 (22 Oct 2020)

First signs of growth of the hemianthus and mosses, and Ludwigia starting to get red tops. Cycling since Sunday. Might add some sacrificial shrimp at the end of the week as I have countless in the other tank.


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## Wolf6 (2 Nov 2020)

2 weeks in, the blyxa has arrived at last and its planted, going to take a while for it to grow to size. I've pruned the ludwigia and replanted the tops for the first time. Hemianthus growing well, everything seems to be growing, had one patch of bba that I spot treated which seems to have worked, and thats about it. I think it came with a moss I ordered and must have missed it when planting, as it was growing on top of the moss. Minimal diatoms. I've added 3 cherry shrimp, they seem happy enough this far. I've also discovered a few uninvited guests, can anyone ID this type of snail? They move about fast and also like to float across the surface, I've never had these in my tank before. They remind me of apple snails with the long feelers and the floating, but the shape of their house is different. If its a type that breeds fast I'll remove some, as I've discovered 5 this far.
I'm down to water changes twice a week (coming from daily in week 1, once every other day in week 2). I've started to think about livestock, I'm thinking some nano cory's (8 or so) and maybe some microrasbora (10 ish), but I'm not decided on those yet. And of course a few amano shrimp (5) and 3 otos. Anyone else have suggestions for the main group fish for a small size tank like this? I've had kubotai in the past, which I loved, but I want something else this time round.


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## Wolf6 (3 Nov 2020)

Forgot a frontal shot as I mostly view it from  the side. Blyxa is planted between the hairgrass near the twinstar behind the rock. Seeing a few new leaves already I think. Also discovered more critters somehow got into the tank. Cyclops and some tiny wormlike things.


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## Ady34 (6 Nov 2020)

Looking great.
I think it may be a ramshorn snail. 
Harmless but some don’t like them. I don’t mind a snail


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## Wookii (6 Nov 2020)

Tank is looking really nice @Wolf6  - agree with Ady, looks like a Ramshorn. I have some in my tank that @dw1305 helped me ID. They end up with really thin transparent shells as in your image, presumably due to the acidity of the CO2 injected water.

As a result they don't tend to live too long sadly. I found that in my tank their population was somewhat self controlling almost to the point of rarely seeming them, due I suspect to the shell attrition mentioned above, and also the lack of available food in a fairly well maintained tank. Also consider that they are good algae eaters, so personally I'd encourage them rather than remove them.


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## Wookii (6 Nov 2020)

Wolf6 said:


> I'm down to water changes twice a week (coming from daily in week 1, once every other day in week 2). I've started to think about livestock, I'm thinking some nano cory's (8 or so) and maybe some microrasbora (10 ish), but I'm not decided on those yet. And of course a few amano shrimp (5) and 3 otos. Anyone else have suggestions for the main group fish for a small size tank like this? I've had kubotai in the past, which I loved, but I want something else this time round.


I love so called 'nano' fish - they're a preference of mine.

If you're going for dwarf Cories I can recommend Hasborsus (Salt and Pepper Cories) - I've just added a picture of mine to my journal here. They stay on the bottom like the bigger Cories do. Pygmaeus and Hastatus tend to spend a lot more of their time hanging with the tetras in the mid-water.

As for top level fish, Chilli's are always a nice option if you have softer water, or, as you've got a lid and floating plants, perhaps some dwarf pencil fish (Nannostomus marginatus) - I'd have had some of those if I were using a lid, but I think they'd jump from an open top.

Mid-water you've got lots of choice. Assuming you don't want to go as large as mainstream tetra (Cardinals, Black Neons etc) Kubotai would have been one of my recommendations - again I've just got some myself, and they are beautiful fish with bags of character. Embers are a nano staple of course, or you could look for some Tucano Tetra (Tucanoichthys Tucano) if you can find some and stomach the price. Yellow Phantom Tetra (Hyphessobrycon Roseus) are another choice that stays below 3cm, if you want a more silvery fish. For a different body shape Gold Ring Danios (Danio Tinwini) are really pretty and stay small (again, if you can find them and have softer water).


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## Wolf6 (9 Nov 2020)

Not much new to report, accidentally blew sand across the tank changing water, but I fixed most of it again. Plants growing well this far, except for my miroshaki moss which took a hit from spot dosing due to some bba in week 1. One part still seems to be doing ok, but the rest seems to be suffering. No new signs of algae this far, fingers crossed.



Wookii said:


> If you're going for dwarf Cories I can recommend Hasborsus (Salt and Pepper Cories) - I've just added a picture of mine to my journal here. They stay on the bottom like the bigger Cories do. Pygmaeus and Hastatus tend to spend a lot more of their time hanging with the tetras in the mid-water.
> 
> As for top level fish, Chilli's are always a nice option if you have softer water, or, as you've got a lid and floating plants, perhaps some dwarf pencil fish (Nannostomus marginatus) - I'd have had some of those if I were using a lid, but I think they'd jump from an open top.
> 
> Mid-water you've got lots of choice. Assuming you don't want to go as large as mainstream tetra (Cardinals, Black Neons etc) Kubotai would have been one of my recommendations - again I've just got some myself, and they are beautiful fish with bags of character. Embers are a nano staple of course, or you could look for some Tucano Tetra (Tucanoichthys Tucano) if you can find some and stomach the price. Yellow Phantom Tetra (Hyphessobrycon Roseus) are another choice that stays below 3cm, if you want a more silvery fish. For a different body shape Gold Ring Danios (Danio Tinwini) are really pretty and stay small (again, if you can find them and have softer water).


Thanks for the suggestions  I'll see if I can find some habrosus, I made a long beach especially for the dwarf cory's  
I've had kubotai before and I loved them, but I want to try something new now  Those tucano's look pretty, but if they are that pricey I might just pass. Danio tinwini looks fun, lets see if I can find any


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## Wolf6 (10 Nov 2020)

Some pics with only one light on, which I find most pleasant for viewing. Ludwigia getting a nice red hue, Blyxa taking off, hairgrass covered by sand because of my stupid, buce with new leaf, and the downer: Fissidens struggling.


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## Wookii (10 Nov 2020)

What is the plant in this image? It looks like a miniature Subwassertang?


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## Wolf6 (10 Nov 2020)

Wookii said:


> What is the plant in this image? It looks like a miniature Subwassertang?


Its supposedly a smaller form of coral moss (Riccardia Chamedryfolia), the seller sold it as micro coral moss, no latin name. Its very tiny and dense, grows very slow.


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## Wookii (10 Nov 2020)

Wolf6 said:


> Its supposedly a smaller form of coral moss (Riccardia Chamedryfolia), the seller sold it as micro coral moss, no latin name. Its very tiny and dense, grows very slow.


 I like the look of it. A quick google suggests that it will self attach to hardscape too. I might get a bit to try out.

Do you know it the cuttings float or sink when it's trimmed?


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## Wolf6 (10 Nov 2020)

Wookii said:


> I like the look of it. A quick google suggests that it will self attach to hardscape too. I might get a bit to try out.
> 
> Do you know it the cuttings float or sink when it's trimmed?


Sorry, I dont know, I got it in a bag and attached it with a tiny bit of glue to the rock, it was so tiny and fragile I hardly dared to rinse as I was afraid I'd lose it, and its growing so slow that I havent trimmed yet.


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## Wolf6 (12 Nov 2020)

I love stuff like this. Apparently a few leaves of monte carlo entered the tank at some stage. I didnt notice, but it found hold on some wood right at the surface. I hope it will survive there, but its already sprouting new leaves so thats a good sign


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## dw1305 (12 Nov 2020)

Hi all,
Your Frogbit is looking healthy.


Wolf6 said:


> I didnt notice, but it found hold on some wood right at the surface. I hope it will survive there, but its already sprouting new leaves so thats a good sign


It should be fine, it is only fully submerged <"that growth is an issue">.

This is <"_Hemianthus micranthemoides">_ "in the wild"





cheers Darrel


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## Wolf6 (13 Nov 2020)

Nice  I think I saw some growing on the ponds' edge as well, probably from when I tossed the marseilea in there. 

Went out to the fishstore and got some stock today, 3 oto's, 4 amano shrimp and 7 pygmea cory's. They had Habrosus as well, but for some reason I just fell in love with these guys. If all goes well I'll probably add blue shrimp, a pair of dario dario and 12 brigitea or something similar in a few weeks.


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## dw1305 (13 Nov 2020)

Hi all,


Wolf6 said:


> I think I saw some growing on the ponds' edge as well


Yes, it could well be. A lot of these plants do <"very well outside in the summer">.

If it survives the winter, it is probably the, <"very similar">, _Callitriche "stagnalis". _

cheers Darrel


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## Wolf6 (14 Nov 2020)

The cleanup crew and the messy crew  Oto's are a bit skinny I feel, so getting some courgette for tonight and giving a slice of cucumber right away. They didnt care for the algae wafer yet.


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## Wolf6 (17 Nov 2020)

Livestock doing well this far, had a minor incident today with spilling some food (double usual dose), hoping it wont lead to algae bloom as I normally only feed twice or so per week. Also got a small eheim skimmer as there has been some scum on the surface regularly that prevented good gas exchange. Its on a timer that turns on 30 mins in the morning before lights on, and 30 mins late at night, on minimum setting. I will probably get a few more pygmeas, 3 or 4, and the 12 rasbora's, soonish, perhaps coming weekend. Together with a pair of dario dario and a platy that completes the stock for this tank.


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## Wookii (17 Nov 2020)

Wolf6 said:


> . . .  had a minor incident today with spilling some food (double usual dose), hoping it wont lead to algae bloom as I normally only feed twice or so per week.


I doubt it will lead to an algal bloom - I feed my fish daily without fail, and without any algae related issues.


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## Wolf6 (18 Nov 2020)

The tank today. Giving me a lot of joy already looking at it from my wfh spot.


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## Wolf6 (21 Nov 2020)

Added a few new inhabitants: 10 embers, 3 more pygmeus (making the total 10) and 1 guppy (picked by the youngest, but I actually really like his colours). Also got a few taiwan bee shrimp in there, 3 to start, might get more if they do well. All thats left is a pair of dario's in a month or so if all keeps going well. Gave some plants a cutting back, removed a few bits that looked like bba was forming on the old moss, still some diatoms on the rock and sand here and there, but nothing out of the ordinary. The tank now feels like its properly alive. The cory's by themselves were kind of shy, but the adition of the other fish (or perhaps 3 more of their own) has made them bolder and more relaxed. The fish readily show themselves, plants look healthy, this is the relax and watch part of aquascaping. I know it wont last forever, thats why we gotta enjoy it while it lasts  Pics are right after feeding some live food, so if you spot some leftover tubifex you know why  Cory's are making short work of them.


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## Wolf6 (24 Nov 2020)

Side shot after maintenance last night Spot dosed some suspected bba spots with easycarbo, cleaned some diatoms of main rocks, gave some plants a little trimming and first rinse of cannister spunges and cleaning of the tubes etc. New fish seem happy, the bba gives me mild concern.


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## Wolf6 (26 Nov 2020)

Discovered some melt on the pearl weed, adjusted flow as a measure. Going to trim the ludwigia next Monday. I really should get a camera considering how many shitty pics I take with this phone  any tips?


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## Wolf6 (2 Dec 2020)

Fissidens miroshaki seems to be recovering, at least a large part. Fissidens fox, which i thought had been fully eaten by my Siamese in the other tank is also regrowing. And the tiny coral moss is slowly growing  Sorry for the shitty pics but little time and had to zoom in with unsteady hands


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## Wolf6 (8 Dec 2020)

Nothing new to report. I think I might have lost 2 pygmea's because I only counted 8 last night during maintenance, but its quite possible they are hiding somewhere in the dense plantmass. They are being fed with defrosted micro cyclops and granules and the ones I see dont seem skinny. Everything else seems to be doing fine. BBA seems to have receded after spot dosing, minimal green algae and minimal diatoms. Upped ferts a little as my floaters were becoming smaller and smaller (while still becoming more numerous).



The MC above the water doing well still 




Maintenance shot



Side view



Taiwan bee foraging




Frontal/side shot



Looking over the beach


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## Wolf6 (16 Dec 2020)

Will try to post a few pics tonight, but as for how things are going:
On the one hand, plants growing great, no algae worth mentioning, did a good trimming of some plants. Shrimp seem happy and all accounted for, almost everything seems to be going great. Replaced the first co2 bottle since I started this tank. But....
The other hand is that the pygmies are not doing well. I dont know why, but I lost a third one (missing) and found a fourth one dead just now. The one I pulled out seemed to have an internal bleeding on one side. So I have 6 remaining now out of the original 10. Foodwise they should be getting the right food (sinking pellets, defrosted micro cyclops), but I cant tell if they are getting enough as the embers, amano and guppy are always on top of any food, even food that I put on the sand directly for the cory's. I dont see them often, usually right before lights out they swim around as a group foraging, and when they do they seem happy, but they are still disappearing. Perhaps I should just accept this fish isnt for me, as this same thing happened when I had them years ago. The embers have gotten a bit fat because I try to ensure the cory's get enough food. Its a shame, because they are so adorable. Maybe I will try again once the larger tank is set up, and leave that tank maturing a lot longer before I add them. 
The otto's on the other hand seem to be doing well, loving the weekly courgette slices


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## Wolf6 (16 Dec 2020)

Side shot:




Frontal:



Attempted closeup of the embers, realising all thats in focus is the anubias instead



Hairgras that will need a haircut at some stage, but I am somehow afraid to.


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## Wookii (16 Dec 2020)

Looking really nice @Wolf6 - just hack that grass back - it should grow denser as a result.

FWIW I lost a few Pygmies when I got my batch in my old scape. But the rest have been really resilient. They are incredibly shy though. Even though they are now in my low tech tank which is very dimly lit, and covered in Frogbit, they are still very nervous - shooting off into the undergrowth at the first sight of movement, even with the bold Endlers giving them a little more confidence.

My Salt and Pepper Cory’s in my high tech  on the other hand appear completely oblivious to even my 4 year old pressing her face against the tank and jumping up and down in excitement!


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## Wolf6 (16 Dec 2020)

Wookii said:


> Looking really nice @Wolf6 - just hack that grass back - it should grow denser as a result.
> 
> FWIW I lost a few Pygmies when I got my batch in my old scape. But the rest have been really resilient. They are incredibly shy though. Even though they are now in my low tech tank which is very dimly lit, and covered in Frogbit, they are still very nervous - shooting off into the undergrowth at the first sight of movement, even with the bold Endlers giving them a little more confidence.
> 
> My Salt and Pepper Cory’s in my high tech  on the other hand appear completely oblivious to even my 4 year old pressing her face against the tank and jumping up and down in excitement!


Thanks  Glad to hear its not something I'm doing wrong regarding the shyness  They are in a quieter part of the house, in our office corner, but still dont see them much. Might get those salt n peppers for the larger tank come time then  I did originally set out to get those, but chose the pygmies instead because of reasons I dont recall  
I'll try and get myself to mow that lawn next maintenance


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## not called Bob (16 Dec 2020)

mine seem to go through phases, they can be in the top 20% of the tank all week and not be seen on the sand and then go behind rocks and into the plants for a week. they only seem to feed on biofilm on the plants. every one else eats the sinking pellets etc with gusto, but not seen them, but they must be when unwatched as they have plumped up


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## Wolf6 (17 Dec 2020)

I just counted 7 cory's! Rumors of his/her death have been greatly exaggerated it seems. Still means I lost 3, but it makes me feel a little less bad


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## Wolf6 (5 Jan 2021)

Still growing well, no algae. Upped ferts a bit more, now dosing 5 pumps of tropica specialised per week. Gave some plants a major trim last night. Getting a lot of snails though so I manually removed a bunch.


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## Wolf6 (7 Jan 2021)

Fissidens miroshaki on the branch is growing well again, its just a very slow grower compared to the other fissidens species in the tank  All the white dots on the glass are tiny snails it seems, or copepods with a hard shell, cant tell. They do move around. They are getting a bit numerous for my liking. I've also discovered some hydra, but I'm not too worried about those, they tend to disappear again by themselves. They're probably a result of regular feeding with frozen mini cyclops.


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## Wolf6 (20 Jan 2021)

Not much new. More trimming of plants, tiny bit of gda on the rocks appearing here and there where the toothbrush isnt sufficient. The bit of MC that planted itself is growing well on the wood. Placed some fissidens trimmings in new spots in the tank. Its all very stable this far, maintenance is minimal, waterchange 50% weekly, clean windows, trim some plants, and 1x month clean the filter. Takes me 20 mins per week. The small clamlike copepods are becoming a bit annoying, white spots everywhere. Hydra disappeared again after feeding less cyclops.
Light is still about 6 hours per day per lamp, but lamp 1 comes on 30 mins before lamp 2, and lamp 2 goes off 30 mins later then 1. Ferts is 2 pumps of tropica specialised on waterchange day, 1 pump on wed, one friday, one sunday. Every fert day I also dose some easy carbo on anything that looks like algae or if there isnt anything, just into the water.


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## Wolf6 (3 Feb 2021)

Steady as she goes. Nothing to report. Few diatoms on the sand, minimal green dust algae on the rocks, those are the only signs of algae in the tank currently. Fissidens miroshaki is taking off at last  Finally developed some mass.


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## Wolf6 (17 Feb 2021)

The HC is still growing well on top of the wood at the surface. Its starting to make its way down alongside the fissidens. I'll get a few more taiwan bee shrimp soon, I like how visible they are in this tank. The reds not so much, there are at least 5 in the tank but I barely see them. The amano's are also visible a lot, they just dont stay still long


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## Wolf6 (8 Mar 2021)

Tonight is maintenance night. Cutting back some plants, cleaning pipes and glass, the usual. Nothing new to report. Mosses growing well.


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## Wolf6 (8 Mar 2021)

And a few random shots.
First we can see the fontinalis finally taking root on the rock and as a result growing fast. 




The beach where the cool kids hang out.



Closeup of fissidens, coral moss and HC slowly overtaking the wood together, set against a backdrop of red ludwigia. 



And finally fissidens miroshaki looking good and growing fast (for a slow moss).


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## Wolf6 (18 Mar 2021)

Its not the same tank so its kind of cheating, but since the tank this is happening in doesnt have a journal of its own and is going to go soon, here is a flowering Limnobium laevigatum. Didnt even occur to me it could flower. Next to it is another one with the flower already spend, but its not on the pic. Clearly doing something right...


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## Wolf6 (24 Mar 2021)

Noticed some green spot algae after a hard trim last week. Giving slightly less ferts now till plant mass is back somewhat. Other then that still steady. Spotted this during maintenance. Pleased to see its happy too.


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## Wolf6 (13 Apr 2021)

Steady as she goes. A few spots of black on the rocks which I dosed with some easycarbo, rocks getting a little greenish in spots the toothbrush cant reach, but nothing worrysome. Its all going pretty well. Added more Bee shrimps. Some pics before and after maintenance.


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## Wolf6 (27 May 2021)

Been a bit lazy with cleaning rocks and wood and keeping balance between ferts and plantmass. But worst of all, co2 ran out and I didnt notice for a week or so. Result is some green algae on rocks and bba outbreak on wood. The blyxa stems were decaying so I had to replant the tops. Hairgrass is slowly taking over the beach and the shrimps are somehow getting some soil onto the sand occasionally. Still given how little time I put into it, I am happy enough. Upcoming: I will replace one of the 2 lights with an onf nano+. Hoping I can manage the light swap without issues and can get the bba back into submission.
Guilty shrimp.


Mini Moss has been divided into 3 parts, one attached to wood with the bba outbreak:





Corner shot:



Side shot:



And main front shot:



Thats all for now.


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## Wolf6 (2 Jun 2021)

Did a few rounds of dosing easycarbo onto the affected wood, seeing the bba recede somewhat. Replaced the largest lamp with the onf nano at 80% intensity, keeping a close eye on plants and algae.
Happy with the fountain Moss growth


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## Wolf6 (17 Jun 2021)

Bba has receeded and is almost gone. Cant get the gda off the rocks anymore with toothbrush, anyone have some pointers for this?
Plantgrowth is excellent and swapping the lights doesnt seem to have had much impact.


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## Wookii (17 Jun 2021)

Wolf6 said:


> Cant get the gda off the rocks anymore with toothbrush, anyone have some pointers for this?


This brush set will give you a few tougher options than a regular toothbrush if you really want to remove it:

Amazon product


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## Wolf6 (30 Jun 2021)

I am contemplating tearing it down. Its still doing well, despite a malfunctioning timer messing up my co2 again, so some bba resurfaced. But I received 20 more embers from someone moving house so now I am considering making this the main group in the larger tank. Also due to circumstances I am currently not really feeling it, so might just go back to one single tank. I also spotted some small blue/white shrimp, but couldnt catch them on camera. I hope its the taiwan bee, but it might just be cherries that mixxed with the black/white shrimp I accidentally added believing those to also be taiwan bees.


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## Wolf6 (1 Jul 2021)

A few close ups I made just now. New flower in the buce:




Fissidens miroshaki, I just love this little moss. Extremely slow growing but it doesnt require maintenance, no cutting it back required, doesnt get taller. 



I took some of this moss from a spring in the ardennes for my pond, and tried some in my tank as well. Love the way its growing.



They seem happy and active.



Shrimplets came out this time. 



Possibly taiwan bee, but could just as well be the other type. 



And the amanos still happily cleaning stuff.


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## RPackman (2 Jul 2021)

Wolf6 said:


> I am contemplating tearing it down.


This would be a real shame! It is coming along so nicely!


Wolf6 said:


> due to circumstances I am currently not really feeling it, so might just go back to one single tank.


I completely get that. It can feel a lot when it just seems like maintenance and algae clearance are all you do and you don’t get to enjoy the tank.

However, I love embers and I would think you could have embers in two tanks….


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## Wolf6 (20 Jul 2021)

Second timer that has died in short time, this time on one of the lights. Ordered a new timer, spending a bit more this time, and hopefully that will prove more reliable. Havent torn down the tank (yet), still not entirely certain. Not much new, BBA is almost gone again thankfully.


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## Wolf6 (29 Jul 2021)

Third timer died within 2 days of use so I deceided to just replace the light it was controlling with the second onf nano+ I had for my vase project which just hasnt happened yet. With the app I no longer need timers this way. Tank is doing fine other then this it seems.


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## Wolf6 (7 Aug 2021)

Time for a trim on monday!


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## Wolf6 (10 Aug 2021)

After cutting back some plants. The twinstar just came on. Still love the effect it gives.





Full frontal shot, water hasnt fully cleared up after maintance yet:


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## Wolf6 (30 Aug 2021)

Back from vacation...exploded plants! Trimming tonight 😀


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## Wolf6 (31 Aug 2021)

And the result... did a lazy trim of the ludwigia (as in, just cut off the tips, dont replant those/remove the old stems). Also removed some stray fissidens from my lawn. 3 flowers in the buce this time, moving up. The lack of regular ferts during the vacation has resulted in some minor gsa and suspect-bba spots that I've dosed with easycarbo. Fissidens is really exploding atm. Also loving the colours of the second and third generation of shrimp, nice velvet black. Sorry for the reflections etc, I'm a lazy fishkeeper and a lazy photographer.


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## Wolf6 (2 Sep 2021)

Some of my 'white stripes' as ive started calling them. G2 and G3 in this tank, their parents had much more white.


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## Wolf6 (7 Sep 2021)

I've noticed some more GSA over the last week, possibly still from the week vacation with no/irregular ferts. Next holiday I'll turn off CO2 and lights for the week, as I think the shortage of ferts but continued same level of CO2 has messed up the balance/weakened the plants defense. I've cleaned the filter for more flow, and since my return last week ferts have been regular again, so I hope to see no more signs of new GSA growth, or preferably lessening again.


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## Wookii (7 Sep 2021)

An auto-doser would solve your holiday problem @Wolf6


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## Wolf6 (7 Sep 2021)

Wookii said:


> An auto-doser would solve your holiday problem @Wolf6


I picked one up for the big tank, might just do that for this one as well. This hobby is so expensive though


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## Wolf6 (13 Sep 2021)

Always good to see they (pygmys) still live. I counted 7 out of 10, but odds are the remaining 3 are still hidden in the green somewhere. They seem to like the shrimpsticks. Picture taken from afar because I was afraid they'd instantly vanish back into the green again. Which they did shortly after the pic.


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## Wolf6 (28 Sep 2021)

What is stability? I noticed my diffusor wasnt performing anymore, bubbles became too big so less and less CO2 ended up in the water and some plants started to show it. So I replaced it, meaning I had to re-dial in my CO2. I now use even less CO2 to achieve more saturation, but it also means there was another period of fluctuating CO2 (and not enough CO2 before the switch). And now last night, I had to do a major trim of the biggest plant mass again, so again, fluctuating CO2 (less CO2 used). I am keeping a close eye on algae development over the past few days and the coming days, until I feel the stability has returned. I've spotted some green dust algae, but that was already present (doesnt bother me and seems natural), and the GSA that were receding have gained new intensity. I hope they wont spread too much. But it makes me contemplate on the nature of stability and the importance of it, as such a seemingly minor thing as replacing a diffusor can have such impact, especially on a small water mass like this. 
I briefly considered inline diffusor, but I find the glass difussor a better match somehow for this tank. It almost feels nostalgic.


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## Wolf6 (28 Sep 2021)

Happy shrimp.


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## Wolf6 (29 Sep 2021)

I think I'm going to dismantle this tank somewhere in the coming months, and replace it with either a 60x40x40 tank or a 75x45x24 shallow tank. Gives me a little more options fishwise, and I can give this tank to my oldest who keeps eyeing the 70x50x45 that I am getting rid of but feel is too big for him to start off with at age 11. I still enjoy it, but its a bit too cramped for me somehow. But first I need to get the big tank up and running, so this one is safe probably till the end of the year or so.


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## Wolf6 (30 Sep 2021)

Today.


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## Wolf6 (11 Oct 2021)

A decision has been made, and a new tank was ordered to replace this one. Slightly bigger, 80l, up from 50. Still easy to maintain, using mostly equipment I already have to save costs, but with slightly more options for stock. Now to decide on what to put in it! Still have a month or so before this tank will be torn apart to come up with a plan.


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## Wolf6 (14 Oct 2021)

Having a bit more bba, GDA and GSA pop up over the last week, as I've done a big trim of the ludwigia which again upset the CO2 balance after the tank hadnt fully recovered from swapping out the diffusor. Looking forward to a slightly bigger tank so small things like this should have a little less impact. If I were to ever cut the ludwigia and the pearlweed back on the same night and not dial the CO2 back, I think I'd gass the tank, despite never aiming near 30 mg/l (using 20 mg/l co2 fluid).
Spot dosing some easycarbo again for a while on the bba on stones and wood, and removing some badly affected leaves with GSA. Think this is the most algae the tank has had since the start. Livestock seems happy though, shrimp out and about everywhere and the fish looking relaxed.


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## Wolf6 (25 Oct 2021)

New tank arrived so days for this little tank are numbered.


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## Wolf6 (7 Nov 2021)

A friend borrowed me a very old camera to see if I like it. Havent messed with any settings yet but did try it out for a bit. 













I like it, though the reds of this camera arent as red as my phone's (which matches irl a bit more). I'll see if I can find the right settings 
Finally found the right pieces of wood for its successor (glide), so I'll most likely move the inhabitants to the other tank this week and set up the new tank with the plants and soil from this one (plus a bit of extra plants).


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## Courtneybst (7 Nov 2021)

Great photos!


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## CooKieS (8 Nov 2021)

Lovely shots!


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## Wolf6 (9 Nov 2021)

If I were to pull out all the plants and put them in a bucket, no light, heater or filter, how long do you reckon they would stay ok for? I can change water daily if that would help.


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## Garuf (9 Nov 2021)

Bag um up and seal um up rather than leave them in a bucket. This has proved the most dependable way in my experience with up to a week being fine.


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## Garuf (9 Nov 2021)

How to reset a tank
					

Resetting a tank For many folks, this can be a nightmare. A stable matured tank is easy to manage, while fresh setups tend to go through a period of instability; for many folks this has mean algae outbreaks or melting plants, but both these things can be minimized if not completely eliminated if...




					www.2hraquarist.com


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## Wolf6 (19 Nov 2021)

The tank was torn down today. That ends this Journey and 2 new ones have started. Still trying to find all the shrimplets in the mulm  so tiny! The white little thing in the siringe is one.


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## MichaelJ (19 Nov 2021)

Hi @Wolf6  Can't wait to see your next project!


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