# The Accidental Aquascape



## The Accidental Aquascaper (2 Mar 2019)

Hi All

First scape and first journal, so all advice and guidance is welcome.

This started a couple of years ago, when my daughter decided she wanted to keep fish. I obliged and bought her this 12 litre tank with a few guppies.






I think she forgot she even had fish by the 3rd day, so very soon we had some dead fish. After watching a few videos on fish keeping advice, I stumbled upon aquascaping. I was totally blown away and knew this was something I had to do….hence my moniker…and the fish are fine by the way.

We're gonna need a bigger boat.

With my appetite whetted, I wanted to put a large tank in the lounge, since this is where it will be viewed the most and there’s a sturdy sideboard just where the tank should go. The tank size would be 100cm wide, 40cm high, but only 35cm deep, as the sideboard is only 40cm deep. Low iron, clear silicone, rimless and braceless.





The sideboard wasn’t as ideal as I thought, so after some levelling off of the top and strengthening of the structure, my need to over-engineer things is satisfied.





Tank in situ and leak test passed, it’s time to add the lighting. I made the stand from 28mm galvanised tube and used gold leaf on the connectors, with the aim to tie it in to the rest of the light unit and the rooms decor.








The light itself is made from floor boards, metal wire and RGB LED strip that came with controller etc… Had to buy a few connectors, but it’s surprisingly easy working with LED strip.











The filter is an Oase Biomaster 250 thermo, modified as per Pondguru on YouTube. I’ve added Purigen to the top compartment instead of carbon. Outflow is a standard lily pipe and the intake is a surface skimmer. Co2 cylinder with Co2art Pro-SE regulator and inline inline diffuser. I’ve had to use an inline bubble counter to get it to fit. This sideboard is proving to be more hassle than it’s worth.





…and that is where I’ll end my first post.

Next update will be what’s going in the tank


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## Mitch (4 Mar 2019)

Looks Great, Love the Light bracket very unique.


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## Polly (4 Mar 2019)

Love this,  looking forward to watching your journey


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## Kalum (4 Mar 2019)

nice tank size and looks like there's a lot of thought being put in already, will keep an eye out for the next update


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## Edvet (4 Mar 2019)

Nice DIY job on the light


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (4 Mar 2019)

Thanks all.

Part 2
Substrate and Hardscape.

I went round and round in circles with the substrate, as I initially wanted to use a normal soil and cap it with gravel. Mainly because I'm not keen on the look of the regularly shaped dark aqua soils. In the end, I chose the Tropica Soil 18kg and Tropica Soil Powder 9kg, since it would mostly be covered up anyway and looks like it's easy to maintain.





The hardscape will be rock only and is Seiryu Stone/Mini Landscape Rock (mostly) and some will say Seiryu is not Mini Landscape etc... but lets's not get bogged down with that.
There are a few rocks that are show stoppers, but a fair amount of duds too. The top left large rock will be used as a base, so although it's very different, what you will see of it blends in quite well.











Here's my inspiration for the hardscaping. Some of you may recognise this from the critique section.





Mock-up





Plant plan
I've bought a few more rocks since this was done, so although the overall idea will stay the same, there will probably be a few changes. I'm trying to get the line of substrate flat at the front too.





Next update will be the hardscape in the actual tank.

This should happen in the next couple of weeks.


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## Edvet (4 Mar 2019)

Nice PS skills too


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## Jayefc1 (4 Mar 2019)

Like this a lot looks like it will be very nice the tank looks beautiful with the light and the thought gone in to it


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## rebel (20 Mar 2019)

Wow your mock up PS diagram is unbelievable!!

Very nice scape as well. Some accident to get that sort of skill to set stones to look very natural.


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## Keith GH (21 Mar 2019)

The Accidental Aquascaper.

Looks like you have done plenty of research in planning your Aquascape.   It should look fantastic when it's fully established.

Keith


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## soggybongo (21 Mar 2019)

Looking good.


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (7 Apr 2019)

Part 3
Video and Build

Hi all, I've been busy with my iPhone pretending to be George Farmer.
You can check out my efforts here, on my new YouTube channel.
I'll take some stills with my SLR and upload once I've had 10,000 views.

Enjoy


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (29 Apr 2019)

Part 4
Planting

Since doing the hadrscape, there's been a few tweaks to the rocks on the left hand side and I've added some Dennerle Grey Quartz Gravel. It's got a slight pinkish hue, but would have preferred it to be blueish like the rock. Any gravel experts?

The plants arrived at the weekend, minus the Eriocaulon Cinereum, but that's coming soon and I've got a bunch of plants to deal with. Have I over ordered or is that not possible?
Used the dry planting method and it worked a treat, no floaters! However, a few had started working themselves free and I could see the roots. I’ve tidied up some of it, but it’s bloody fiddly when there’s water in there. Think I'll leave it until I have the water very low, maybe I'll do a massive water change after the first cut. I've been told to wait 2 weeks.

I've added a Jebao circulation pump, as the flow from the Oase 250 seems pretty poor. Has anyone used the Jebao? It's reasonably quite, but would be nice to know if there are pumps as small as this that are quieter. I was told to place it on the same side as my outflow, is that correct? I thought I was doing the sensible thing by creating a circular flow.

I've got zero experience, so everything I’m doing is mainly learnt from the “internet”. I would appreciate all advice, no matter how basic. It’s been quite overwhelming at times, as I had no idea how complex it was going to be. I am having fun though and I’m looking forward to relaxing in front of it and watching it develop...or maybe stress about the algae. I’ll have you guys to fall back on at least 


Day 1
28th April 2019


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (30 Apr 2019)

I forgot to take a picture of the hardscape before it was planted, but here's a still from the video.


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## rebel (1 May 2019)

Wow that hardscape is so nice. Almost don't want to cover it up.

Consider removing the anubis (is it?) under the big rock. You don't want to obscure that detail. It's too nice.


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## PARAGUAY (1 May 2019)

Not sure on the front gravel ,but hey the overall stone layout is so good


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## Tim Harrison (1 May 2019)

Looks grand. The straight line created by the gravel will soften as the plants grow in and should start to look more natural.


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (1 May 2019)

Thanks for you comments all.



rebel said:


> Consider removing the anubis (is it?) under the big rock. You don't want to obscure that detail. It's too nice.



Correct, Anubias Petit, but it's pretty Grand at the moment. It pained me to cover it up too, but I'll be trimming everything quite harshly as I want to make the leaves smaller. I might end up removing some, but probably not all of it.



PARAGUAY said:


> Not sure on the front gravel ,but hey the overall stone layout is so good



Yep, it was something that I deliberated over for some time and it does look a bit awkward at the moment. I'm hoping that I can shape the carpet to make it look more natural, as it will be a nightmare to remove. I'll also introduce a few rocks to break it up.


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## Filip Krupa (1 May 2019)

The Accidental Aquascaper said:


> The light itself is made from floor boards, metal wire and RGB LED strip that came with controller etc… Had to buy a few connectors, but it’s surprisingly easy working with LED strip.



Looks fab!
I do appreciate a good DIY light fixture 
How powerful of a LED strip are we talking?

Looking forward to seeing how it performs!

Fil


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (1 May 2019)

Filip Krupa said:


> Looks fab!
> I do appreciate a good DIY light fixture
> How powerful of a LED strip are we talking?
> Looking forward to seeing how it performs!



The LED strip is around 50W, but I don't have it set to 100% white light, as it looks way too clinical.
I'm a little disappointed with the colours of the plants, but we'll see what happens once it grows in. It was pretty cheap to make the light (around £35), so I won't be too disheartened if I have to buy a twinstar or something.


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (1 May 2019)

First issue.

The Hyrdrocotyle is going yellow in places. There's also some dark green and brown on these leaves. The Hydrocotyle was extremely tricky to plant, so it might be where I have crushed a few stems.

Any ideas?


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## Barbara Turner (1 May 2019)

It doesn't look the best, It could be some melt as it gets used to growing underwater, but I'm not convinced mine never looked like that. 
Is it getting enough light, you don't have it shaded?
Are you dosing EI ferts / compete fertiliser?

I grow mine from seed but wouldn't recommend it..


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## Kezzab (2 May 2019)

Dont panic. Its a brand new set up. Some plants will probably fail. Just trim the melting leaves off. Dont go mad tweaking every variable. Stay on course with ferts, co2, light and water changes. Once the tank settles in and has good growth elsewhere you could retry the plants that failed initially.

Its trial and error, especially with a first scape. Marathon not a sprint etc.

K


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (2 May 2019)

Barbara Turner said:


> It doesn't look the best, It could be some melt as it gets used to growing underwater, but I'm not convinced mine never looked like that.
> Is it getting enough light, you don't have it shaded?
> Are you dosing EI ferts / compete fertiliser?
> I grow mine from seed but wouldn't recommend it..



The light might be underpowered, but I doubt it's lack of light, because the lounge is really bright all day this time of year.
Also, my light period is 3pm-9pm (that way I get to view it after a days work), so I therefore will be making a cover for the front and sides.

I'm using EI ferts, which is surprisingly simple. 



Kezzab said:


> Dont panic. Its a brand new set up. Some plants will probably fail. Just trim the melting leaves off. Dont go mad tweaking every variable. Stay on course with ferts, co2, light and water changes. Once the tank settles in and has good growth elsewhere you could retry the plants that failed initially.
> Its trial and error, especially with a first scape. Marathon not a sprint etc.
> K



Good advice there Kezzab, thanks. I'm not that concerned, I'm actually quite pleased with it overall. It's only a few days old and it's going much better than I thought it would. 
I need to establish a base level, so I'm not tweaking anything at the moment apart from adjusting the amount of Co2. I'm having to inject more than I was expecting, I'm probably at around 4bps on a 140L tank. I've been told to place the drop checker near the bottom of the tank, since this is where the Co2 is needed. I guess when it comes to adding livestock, I'll move the drop checker nearer to the outflow, as I don't want to gas the livestock.


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## DeepMetropolis (3 May 2019)

If they melt and die you should wait until your tank is more established and try it again..


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (12 May 2019)

Video update



Thanks Tim Harrison, I was going to google the code for embedding the video, but you got there first!


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## TBRO (12 May 2019)

Lovely video, did you film underwater? 

I could never get the H.pinitifada to thrive but for some people it’s like a weed! Hope that’s you. 

Will be nice to see it growing in. Rock work is great. T


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (12 May 2019)

Just a quick note having read a few post back... have you done a water change yet? It is normally recommended to do very frequent water changes at the beginning, in part to limit algae and high ammonia levels in the water column...


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## Andrew T (12 May 2019)

Nice hardscape.
H. Verticillata is supposed to be a pretty demanding plant, requiring high light and high CO2.

My setup is an ADA60P, with 4x24watt T5HO over it. Yeah, crazy..

Co2 at 6bps for the past week. Drop checker yellow at lights on.

The verticillata grows like mad. Shoots out new growth seems like every day.I bought it as ADA tissue culture. 

Was yours purchased already growing in another system? Maybe it’s just melt from adjusting to yours.
Mine is also a new tank, only a week since flooding it after a 3-4 week DSM.

I’m dosing ADA line of fertilizers though which is on the leaner side , makes sense on a small tank like mine. Not sure but I believe full EI at a younger stage is detrimental. Most people start with half dose.


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## Andrew T (12 May 2019)

Matt @ ScapeEasy said:


> Just a quick note having read a few post back... have you done a water change yet? It is normally recommended to do very frequent water changes at the beginning, in part to limit algae and high ammonia levels in the water column...


I was gonna ask the same question cuz it wasn’t mentioned.
I’d do a 70-80% water change every day for the first week followed by every other day the second week.
Keep stable Co2. Dose recommended dose of excel if possible along Co2 injection. Skip initial dose.


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (12 May 2019)

TBRO said:


> Lovely video, did you film underwater?
> I could never get the H.pinitifada to thrive but for some people it’s like a weed! Hope that’s you.



Thanks. No filming underwater, just my iPhone and iMovie.
The H.Pinitifada is losing leaves fast, so I may have the same issues as you. Picture added below of the discolouration of the leaves.




Matt @ ScapeEasy said:


> Just a quick note having read a few post back... have you done a water change yet?



I've done a 50% daily water change every day for the first 2 weeks. Today I might not do one for the first time since it was planted.
I'll probably do a 50% change every other day for 2 weeks, then just do it weekly.




Andrew T said:


> Nice hardscape.
> H. Verticillata is supposed to be a pretty demanding plant, requiring high light and high CO2.
> My setup is an ADA60P, with 4x24watt T5HO over it. Yeah, crazy..
> Co2 at 6bps for the past week. Drop checker yellow at lights on.
> ...



At the moment, I've got the light coming on 2 hours after the Co2 at around 3-4bps. Light is on for 6 hours.
I'll try 7 hours and 5-6bps and see what happens. My drop checker hasn't gone completely yellow yet, just very lime green.
The H.Vertcillata was grown emersed I think.
Full dose of Ei, as doing anything else didn't even occur to me. Would it have made much of a difference, since I've been doing daily water changes anyway?
I've got some liquid carbon, but I didn't think it would be worth dosing it, since I have Co2 injection.


Unhappy H.Pinitifada leaves


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## TBRO (12 May 2019)

Probably the pinitifada is emergent growth. Hopefully it will start producing underwater leaves 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Andrew T (12 May 2019)

It’s a good idea to dose excel along injecting co2.
Half dose EI is better until plants take off.


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (18 May 2019)

Video update
The Good, The Bad and The Algae Crew


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## Kezzab (19 May 2019)

Tank is looking good. Its still early days, everything settling in.

Id give it another couple.of weeks then trim your h. Pinnatafida and replant the tops, i think youll probably get better more compact growth after that.

K


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (19 May 2019)

Thanks Kezzab

I’m itching to get my scissors out. I was told to trim after 2 weeks, but I think you’re right, another couple of weeks would be better.

Things are looking a bit healthier now and the shrimps are doing a fine job of cleaning up the leaves that I haven’t scooped out.


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## Tim Harrison (19 May 2019)

That's not a bad start, patience is a virtue, I'm sure it'll come good soon enough. You're already scoring in my book, I can never get riccardia to grow


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (5 Jun 2019)

Update 5? It's not even double figures and I've lost track.
Anyway, it's been a mixed bag the past few weeks.

I've added a bunch of Ruby Tetra and some Celestial Pearls to get things going.
They're very small timid fish, so I'm hoping a big school of Ember Tetra will help the situation. I would add them now, but I think the tank needs another month or two cycling.




There's also a few Otocinclus' helping out...or just chilling.




The shrimp have been busy too by the looks of it.




However, there has been death and quite brutal death. I have lost 4 of 8 CPDs to the Jebao pump.
Tights have been added as a temporary measure, but this is my main concern at the moment.
Is this pump a killer or are the fish crap swimmers or are the fish unhealthy?





The H.Cuba has been trimmed, but it's not growing that quickly. The shrimp are having a go at bringing it up which isn't helping.
I've bought a few pots to plug the gaps, which might stop the shrimp.




Hydrocotyle has stopped melting and starting to get some good growth. Rotala Bonsai just keeps going!






The biggest surprise has been the success of the Riccardia Moss. You've got to get lucky sometimes!
Anubias Petit going well and the Pinnatifida has started to grow new leaves from where they dropped.
The Eriocaulon was doing well to begin with, but has melted slightly too. It's also got new growth coming out of the flower (if that's a flower?).  Not sure what to do apart from trim the bad bits.





I've also added some detail to the sand at the front. More detail will be added once it's grown in a bit more.




Some advice on the circulation pump issues would be great!
Thanks all.


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## dw1305 (5 Jun 2019)

Hi all,





The Accidental Aquascaper said:


> or are the fish unhealthy?





The Accidental Aquascaper said:


> They're very small timid fish, so I'm hoping a big school of Ember Tetra will help the situation. I would add them now, but I think the tank needs another month or two cycling.


I was looking at the CPD in this photo, before I read the rest of your post, and thinking that it looks really malnourished, to the extent I would suspect internal parasites.

Also I haven't kept <"_Axelrodia riesei">, _but the suggestion on Apistogramma forums is that they are tricky to maintain. 

cheers Darrel


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (5 Jun 2019)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,I was looking at the CPD in this photo, before I read the rest of your post, and thinking that it looks really malnourished, to the extent I would suspect internal parasites.



Parasites? I hope not.
They might be getting out competed at feeding time, but the CPD seem happy to feed from the surface.
I'm feeding them micro pellets, crushed up flakes and crushed up blood worms. Maybe something that sinks quickly would be better?


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## CooKieS (5 Jun 2019)

That CPD looks very weak, unfortunately they're often in this bad condition in LFS because they're very shy and can be hard to fed and get  parasites.

That's why I will never buy this fishes, until an good breeder had some, I knew one but even in good condition CPD's are way to shy for my taste.

Sorry for your loss, And nice start btw. 

Nice plant selection too, quite unusual!


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## Tim Harrison (5 Jun 2019)

To be frank I've not seen decent CPD for some years. Last time I bought some they all died within a couple of weeks. My guess at the time was TB. Take a look at this https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads...-dead-and-one-looks-unwell-please-help.48395/


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (6 Jun 2019)

Tim Harrison said:


> To be frank I've not seen decent CPD for some years. Last time I bought some they all died within a couple of weeks. My guess at the time was TB. Take a look at this https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads...-dead-and-one-looks-unwell-please-help.48395/



I'm half way through the second page and it's all pretty depressing. Not only are the fish in a bad way, but I might get TB from sucking on the syphon. I guess I'll be on youtube later looking at how to get the water from my lounge, to the back garden around 10m away. Advice on this would be good. The pump I use to get water back in the tank is too big for removing the water.

The CPDs I've got definitely seem the deformed/malnourished kind. I've spoken to the shop I bought them from and they're not making much of an effort to help out. Will be popping down there for the food they use, but no mention of any replacement. Not sure if I would want the same again.

As I don't like to be too negative, I'll end with what I'm hoping is good news. Out of the 4 CPDs left, there is what seems to be a breeding pair. The male is following the female constantly and doing some kind of wiggly thing. She doesn't seem that impressed, but has lots going on in the 'undercarriage' area. They both love swimming in and out of the rocky areas covered by Anubias, so I hope the eggs remain hidden. The eggs will probably get eaten, but if they do hatch, will I have a school of deformed fish?

Anyway, thanks guys.


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## Jayefc1 (6 Jun 2019)

Syphone in to a bucket with the pump attached to hosepipe 

Cheers
Jay


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (6 Jun 2019)

Jayefc1 said:


> Syphone in to a bucket with the pump attached to hosepipe



I think know what you mean.
Syphon in tank, going in to bucket on the floor below tank. Pump in the bucket takes water out through hose and in to the garden. Great, as long as the syphon doesn't run faster than the pump!
Thanks Jay


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## Jayefc1 (6 Jun 2019)

Ueah you got it If it does just put your thumb over the end of the syphon my pump is way to fast for my syphon so no issues there

Cheers
Jay


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (6 Jun 2019)

Quick Update
I took back 2 of the 4 CPDs that were left, as they didn't look right and were at the surface constantly.
The other two (male and female below) seem in much better shape, so I kept those.
Sorry for the bad pictures, they're a pain to photograph.

Female



 

Male


 

So while I was in there, I explained the situation and they were happy to take the 2 fish back.
I had a look at the CPDs they had there and there were a dozen or so that looked pretty healthy. I didn't want to just have the 2 CPDs, so I thought I would take the healthy ones and give it another go.
The top 5 were popped in a bag so I was expecting to pay for the extra 3, but no, the owner was kind enough not to charge for them.
So all I paid for was the frozen food they like. Fingers crossed tings will improve with this batch.
Small gestures like that go a long way with me, I'll certainly be back...even if they do have some sub-standard fish.

They're even tricky to photograph in a bag!
You can hopefully still see that they have a better shape and overall health. Admittedly, when I bought the first batch, it was on a sunny Sunday and the shop was extremely busy. Don't think I even saw them until I got home.


 

They're in the tank and we'll see how feeding goes later.


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (6 Jun 2019)

The H.Cuba arrived today and it's been grown in gel, which is a real pain to rinse off. I assume it's fine for there to be some left on it?
It's also not got much of a root structure, so will virtually disappear when I plant it.
I've got 3 pieces and I'm wondering if I should just plant them without chopping them up?
Or maybe just cut them in to a few pieces each?


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## Tim Harrison (6 Jun 2019)

It's best to rinse as much of the gel off as possible. The best way is to do it in a sink or bucket full of water. Under a running tap isn't so effective. 
The best way to plant it is to cut it up in to pieces about 1.5cm square/diameter and about 2cm or so apart. Smaller pieces are easier to plant and you'll get better coverage and quicker. 
If you're planting it in a tank full of water you'll need pincettes and another implement, like a gravel rake, to hold the plant in place whilst you withdraw the pincettes.  
Don't worry about the lack of roots just bury it quarter to a half in. It'll soon develop new shoots and leaves, and start to spread.


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## Jayefc1 (6 Jun 2019)

The gel can cause a huge melt try and get as much off as you can 

 I'd cut it in to small and plant as best you can probs 8_10 pieces out of what's in the pic 
At quick pic of my CPDs have 6 in there must be 6 month old got them from sweet Knowles aquatic in Staffordshire an hour and a half drive but man are there fish top quality


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (6 Jun 2019)

Thanks guys, will plant it up in small pieces...there goes my evening 

The CPDs you have look great and I like your Ember Tetra too.


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## Jayefc1 (6 Jun 2019)

I got the DENNERLE NANOGRAN

 food from aquarium gardens it's really tiny and the fish love it the CDPs even go to the top of the tank for it and it has brought the reds on all the fish out like mad it's really good


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (6 Jun 2019)

Jayefc1 said:


> I got the DENNERLE NANOGRAN



I've got Micro Pellets, is that pretty much the same thing?


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## Jayefc1 (6 Jun 2019)

I don't know I asked Dave at AG where he got his fish and he told me it wasn't the fish it was the food and gave me that it's for small fish and really brings out there colours 

Cheese 
Jay


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## cbaum86 (7 Jun 2019)

If you're looking for food recommendations which may help with CPD health and colour I feed a mix of the following...
General Feed:

Fluval Tropical Bug Bits Micro Granules
Hikari Topical Micro Pellets
Supplemented once/twice week with one of the following:

Frozen Bloodworm
Frozen Daphnia
Frozen Brine Shrimp
I think they look fairly healthy and coloured up nicely. Shy sods though and make it very difficult to get a decent photo the speed they dart around at!
It also might have a little to do with lighting. I think they look better with individual RGB LEDs rather than just white but I only have a really cheap RGB LED from amazon.


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (7 Jun 2019)

cbaum86 said:


> If you're looking for food recommendations



Thanks Cbaum
Feeding went very well yesterday with the frozen rotifers I bought from the shop. Along with the new healthier CPDs, there seems to be a change of dynamic in the tank. Will hopefully get some better pictures and report back.

I'm not sure if you were looking at mine or Jay's CPDs. Mine were in the bag.


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (13 Jun 2019)

Hi All

I need to do a proper update, but I want to get started on sorting out my H.Cuba problem.
So after planting a bit more of it, it's looking better, but it's still not happy. It's growing, but it's growing upwards and not along the substrate.

According to YouTube, it's more likely to be a deficiency in Co2 and/or light rather than nutrients.
I've cranked up the Co2 as much as I dare. There's a borderline lime green drop checker, so the next step is to upgrade the lighting.
I made my own lighting and worked out that the max output is around 50W. Maybe the figures aren't accurate, so it's probably less than this. The new strip is double the power and double the amount, so I should have up to 4 times the power once I've upgraded it.

Here are a couple of pictures of what it looks like at the moment.
Any H.Cuba experts in da house?


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## CooKieS (13 Jun 2019)

Looks quite normal to me...for the first weeks it was growing that way too in my tank: high and not spreading.

After 2 months it started to spread and getting rampant, All the gaps were filled quickly. I sometimes push it down with the palm of my Hand when WC to help getting it compact.


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## Tim Harrison (13 Jun 2019)

Effective and efficient CO2 flow and distribution is key with HC. Move your drop checker around to check for dead spots, and to make sure CO2 is being distributed evenly.
High light will make it grow faster but with patience it will carpet well with moderate lighting providing the above is right. Same with fertz, it'll uptake whatever you give it. Overdose and it'll grow twice as fast.
Get all the above in sync and it'll grow like mad and you'll be trimming frequently, and TBH it'll be a proper PITA, the cuttings you don't net will grow any and every where.
Also, for now if you get straggly bits trim them to the level of the main plant mass. That'll encourage lateral growth.


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (31 Aug 2019)

Yes, I'm still here, it's just been super busy with the kids off school!
Here's a quick video update.



I'll be fitting a TwinStar light to the set-up in the next week or so, as I think the light is letting me down. Any advice is welcome as always!

Plus, here's a sneaky peak at my new project called 'Moss & Rock'. It does what is says on the tin.


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## Fisher2007 (31 Aug 2019)

Beautiful!  Love the killifish.  Not seen that variety before


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## Kalum (31 Aug 2019)

Nice wee video

Much of a difference between the ember and ruby tetras colour wise and behaviour?

Killifish look great but always worry about them being jumpers in an open top


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (31 Aug 2019)

Kalum said:


> Nice wee video
> 
> Much of a difference between the ember and ruby tetras colour wise and behaviour?
> 
> Killifish look great but always worry about them being jumpers in an open top



Not a huge amount of difference colour wise. Ruby more pink and the Ember’s are more orange. The bigger difference is the behaviour. Ruby’s are definitely more timid. If they weren’t in there with the Embers, I think the Embers would be a bit more confident, as they seem to follow the Ruby’s when they retreat.

I’ve got an acrylic lid that I had made, so it still has that open top look. Will post a picture later.


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (31 Aug 2019)

Here's the lid.


----------



## rebel (2 Sep 2019)

That's slick acrylic cutting? Pro do that for you?


----------



## Tim Harrison (2 Sep 2019)

That is looking awesome, it will only get better as it grows in and very nice vid and lid too...


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (2 Sep 2019)

rebel said:


> That's slick acrylic cutting? Pro do that for you?





Tim Harrison said:


> That is looking awesome, it will only get better as it grows in and very nice vid and lid too...



I used one of my suppliers that I use for my business - GJPlastics.co.uk
Polished edges are what make a big difference.


----------



## Jayefc1 (2 Sep 2019)

Just curious how long the lid has been on and if that is affecting the light penetration to the bottom of the tank I dont know as I've never used a lid just putting it out there 
Cheers 
Jay


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (2 Sep 2019)

Jayefc1 said:


> Just curious how long the lid has been on and if that is affecting the light penetration to the bottom of the tank I dont know as I've never used a lid just putting it out there
> Cheers
> Jay



The lid definitely stops some of the light, but not by a huge amount. Since I'm upgrading to the twinstar, it shouldn't be a problem.
The lid fogs up when you put it on, but then most of it clears.


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (2 Sep 2019)

I've been pleasantly surprised by the improvement made by the Twinstar 900 SP.
It's really changed the feel of the tank and the whole room in fact. It's somehow clearer, as I think I was getting some strange things happening with strobing with the old light.
Pictures taken with iPhone and have had no adjustments to the colour. It's not what I call accurate, but it should show the difference.

My DIY light


 

Twinstar 5%


 

10%


 

30%


 

50%


 

100%


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## Tim Harrison (2 Sep 2019)

It's an excellent light with awesome colour rendition, and great value for money. It'll be fine with or without the lid.


----------



## Jayefc1 (2 Sep 2019)

I really like the twinstar looks good on your tank too mate 
Cheers 
Jay


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## Bon MotMot (2 Sep 2019)

Lots of great details in this tank. Love the fish selection!


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## Eplov (3 Sep 2019)

The very distributed planting instead of bunches actually works really well the layout -- makes it look very natural. Great job!


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## Fisher2007 (3 Sep 2019)

Well I think you have just punched a whole in my bank account!  I've had my eye on the 1200sp and your photos have really sold it for me.  The picture at 30% is already a great improvement on your prior unit


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (3 Sep 2019)

Eplov said:


> The very distributed planting instead of bunches actually works really well the layout -- makes it look very natural. Great job!



Thanks. I planted in bands to create layers. I was hoping to give my tank more depth, but it's only 35cm deep.
Here's the plant plan.


 



Fisher2007 said:


> Well I think you have just punched a whole in my bank account!  I've had my eye on the 1200sp and your photos have really sold it for me.  The picture at 30% is already a great improvement on your prior unit



I wish I bought it sooner, my plants are loving it!


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## Fisher2007 (4 Sep 2019)

Can I ask where you got the material to make your light hanging brackets from and what thickness the tubing is?  I like the idea of doing similar.  Also, how did you attach them to the back of the cabinet (presumably just drilled through the tube and screwed to is)?
Thanks


----------



## CooKieS (4 Sep 2019)

Be aware that the twinstar S séries are very powerful and you'll need to dim it with only 35cm.height.

Nice tank and very cool rendering with this twinstar led.

I would replace or add some stems like rotala SP or hottonia palustris behind the h.pinnitifida to add some texture and depth. 

Cheers


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (4 Sep 2019)

Fisher2007 said:


> Can I ask where you got the material to make your light hanging brackets from and what thickness the tubing is?  I like the idea of doing similar.  Also, how did you attach them to the back of the cabinet (presumably just drilled through the tube and screwed to is)?
> Thanks



I bought the tubing from themetalstore.co.uk. Metals4U.co.uk are a virtually the same and probably have better customer service.
All the pieces were cut to size, but I did buy an extra couple of tubes to give me a couple of options on the length for the arm at the top. The longer tube means I can slide the light unit back and forth to the desired position. Cost and sizes below. It looks just as good as the stands you can buy, but is a fraction of the price.

The hook and elbow joint have been gold leafed. Partly because I think it looks good, but mainly because I've got loads of it and it's soooo satisfying.

The vertical tubes are fixed to the back of the unit with some saddle clips - https://ebay.us/orN54m 
I then have a block of wood that is screwed to the unit which stops the tube sliding down. You can then move the block of wood up and down for the right height. Be sure that the block of wood doesn't cover up the hole of the tube, as you won't be able to feed the wires for the lighting through. Just had a look to see if I made a drawing...and yes, of course I did. Man I'm such a geek. See drawing below cost.



 



 



CooKieS said:


> Be aware that the twinstar S séries are very powerful and you'll need to dim it with only 35cm.height.



Indeed. I would say when it's at 25%, it's similar to what I had, so I don't want to blast it, as I reckon I'll have algae issues in no time.
I've got the sunrise dimmer, so for most of the day it's around 25% - 50%.


----------



## Fisher2007 (4 Sep 2019)

That's awesome - big thanks and thumbs up!


----------



## Janci (6 Sep 2019)

The Accidental Aquascaper said:


> I've been pleasantly surprised by the improvement made by the Twinstar 900 SP.
> It's really changed the feel of the tank and the whole room in fact. It's somehow clearer, as I think I was getting some strange things happening with strobing with the old light.
> Pictures taken with iPhone and have had no adjustments to the colour. It's not what I call accurate, but it should show the difference.
> 
> ...


Wow, that is a huge improvement.
I too am doubting about the Twinstar S series and to get 2 900SP for my tank.
I did not see the light in person, and read people saying it washes out the green colour due to too much red.

Your tank is gorgeous.


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (8 Sep 2019)

Another Accident - Moss & Rocks

Just filled the 30cm cube. It's simple, but I can't wait for it to grown in.
I'll be uploading a video with the full build soon.

What light would people suggest for a 30cm cube?

Does anyone else see the weird face (top left) with its eyes closed?


----------



## 84Reasons (9 Sep 2019)

The Accidental Aquascaper said:


> Another Accident - Moss & Rocks
> 
> Just filled the 30cm cube. It's simple, but I can't wait for it to grown in.
> I'll be uploading a video with the full build soon.
> ...



Loving the hardscape here, really makes an impact, superb work.


----------



## Nuno Gomes (9 Sep 2019)

The Accidental Aquascaper said:


> What light would people suggest for a 30cm cube?



If you aren't planning on growing demanding plants I'd suggest an Aquael Leddy 2 Plant - it's extremely cheap and very good quality.


----------



## DaanV (9 Sep 2019)

Love the hardscape on your 30cm!
Do you plan on adding some extra plants? Or just the mosses? Some anubias nana bonsai would look nice aswell


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (9 Sep 2019)

DaanV said:


> Love the hardscape on your 30cm!
> Do you plan on adding some extra plants? Or just the mosses? Some anubias nana bonsai would look nice aswell



Thanks for the compliments all.

Anubias is my plan B if the moss doesn't work out. It's Riccardia Chamedryfolia, which I grew in my tank with Co2. I've got some Riccia Fluitans, which is currently in my other tank. Will be adding that to this tank once it's grown in a bit.


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (12 Sep 2019)

Asta 20 light came today.

Before


 

After


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (5 Oct 2019)

Moss & Rocks - The 30cm Cube after 4 weeks.
I'm tempted to use an electric toothbrush on this, as it's hard work with the manual and this is one giant algae ridden tooth!
I've had to mess around with the glassware. Found a skimmer that fits, but it's not ideal for flow. Might put the outflow on the left or probably buy a smaller outflow. Has anyone seen any nano glassware?
There is a full build video in the pipeline, just need to collect the live stock and do some final shots.



 

I've only added front on views so far, so here are some different angles.



 

 



 





Overhang & Outcrop - 140ltr after 5 months.
It's been slow going with this, as I've had to learn as I'm going along. I think the hardware is finally sorted now. I've had to upgrade certain bits, but it seems to be coming together now.


----------



## Janci (6 Oct 2019)

Both tanks are looking great.
I love the plant (not sure what it is) with the long stems and floating green leaf at the end. As seen in the middle of your 140ltr tank


----------



## Matt @ ScapeEasy (7 Oct 2019)

Hydrocotyle verticulata?


----------



## Janci (7 Oct 2019)

Matt @ ScapeEasy said:


> Hydrocotyle verticulata?



thank you Matt


----------



## rebel (7 Oct 2019)

The Accidental Aquascaper said:


> Does anyone else see the weird face (top left) with its eyes closed?


Dude, YES!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareidolia

btw very nice scape as usual.


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (12 Oct 2019)

Full build video for Moss & Rocks


----------



## Tim Harrison (12 Oct 2019)

Very nice and skilfully done; it looks as though you've slipped a glass box over a natural rock outcrop. I particularly like the way you've created the idea of bedding planes that all dip in the same direction


----------



## dw1305 (12 Oct 2019)

Hi all, 





Tim Harrison said:


> I particularly like the way you've created the idea of bedding planes that all dip in the same direction


Same for me, nice rock work. I don't usually comment on hardscape, and I know there is a concept of  <"tension">, but tanks always just look unnatural to me when the <"bedding planes are all at different angles">.

It is hypocrisy, because couldn't do as well as any of the scapers here, and I know that the second image (below) is a "better" scape, but I still prefer the first one.






 

cheers Darrel


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (12 Oct 2019)

Tim Harrison said:


> it looks as though you've slipped a glass box over a natural rock outcrop.


Thanks Tim, that's pretty much what I try to do. If only I had a shrink-ray!



dw1305 said:


> tanks always just look unnatural to me when the <"bedding planes are all at different angles">.
> It is hypocrisy, because couldn't do as well as any of the scapers here, and I know that the second image (below) is a "better" scape, but I still prefer the first one.


Thanks Darrel, I know what you mean. In the second photo, the rock in the top right pointing left defies physics somewhat.


----------



## Deano3 (12 Oct 2019)

Great rockwork as said looks so natural. Must be very happy with that,one of bestcubes i have ever seen, i have always loved large hardscape.

Thanks dean

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (20 Oct 2019)

1 week update and maintenance video of Moss & Rocks


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (26 Oct 2019)

First 'proper' issues with algae.
I've been getting a bit of algae here and there, but generally it's been easy to take care of. A bit of brushing and most of it goes, then comes back a bit, but it's generally not getting worse.

What is getting worse is the Hair Algae or Staghorn Algae.
I've trimmed the leaves that were affected, but it's coming back just as quick as I get rid of it. It seems to be in the areas of flow, rather than dead spots.
Here are a few photos, to show how near it is to the outflow. All the leaves downstream seem to be affected. Some other tank shots thrown in for good measure.

Will be adjusting the lighting and spot treating some Excel.
I have also angled the flow so it's not hitting as many leaves.

FYI
• 50% water changes every week.
• EI ferts
• 23*-23.5*
• Lighting is 0% at 8am and ramps up to 100% at Midday, then dims until it switches off at 3pm.

I will change the light to 80% max at Midday, but I have a feeling it might not be the lighting, as the rest of the tank seems absolutely fine in comparison.
Anyway, am I doing the right thing(s)?
Or anything else I should consider?

EDIT: It’s just occurred to me that it’s the leaves that are closest to the light, so maybe it is the lighting?


----------



## Kezzab (26 Oct 2019)

Hi, its a lighting/co2 issue IMO. Little point spot dosing, the affected leaves are damaged beyond repair.

Id be looking carefully at your co2 level and circulation. Id say its notable that the tank is 6 months planted but growth of quite a few plants looks weak. If all was on point id have expected it to be looking rampant (unless you are doing a lot of trimming).
K


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (26 Oct 2019)

Kezzab said:


> Hi, its a lighting/co2 issue IMO. Little point spot dosing, the affected leaves are damaged beyond repair.
> 
> Id be looking carefully at your co2 level and circulation. Id say its notable that the tank is 6 months planted but growth of quite a few plants looks weak. If all was on point id have expected it to be looking rampant (unless you are doing a lot of trimming).
> K



I trim quite a bit, to get a more compact growth, but it should have grown more than it has.
Have been playing around with the circulation, just pointing the out flows at different angles. I'm going to do a feed in a minute which will help me see what's happening.
I'm thinking of swapping the inflow and out flow either side. As the plants aren't as high on the right.
I feel like my next moves are critical to the success of this tank.
Thanks K!


----------



## Kezzab (26 Oct 2019)

Your inflows/outflows look to be in what is usually seen as the "right" place as far as i can see. You should be getting circular flow and theres nothing thats really obstructing that. Maybe its just increasing the co2 injection rate thats needed? 

In my experience you dont get compact growth unless the co2 is right, however much you trim. But then every tanks different!


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (26 Oct 2019)

Kezzab said:


> Maybe its just increasing the co2 injection rate thats needed?



Ok, will bump up the Co2, but I'm at around 4bps. Is that a lot already?
Looking at my drop checker, it's not as towards the yellow end of the spectrum as it used to. I guess the plants are
maybe using it more?

As the pipes are in the right place, I think I will try swapping each side over. So the left side has the outflow at the front etc...
It's just so the outflow isn't directly hitting the plants.

Another thing to try is a different plant that has fast growth.


----------



## Kezzab (26 Oct 2019)

Hi, bps isnt really a comparable measure (bubble counters vary, different tanks require different rates etc) although its good for you to use as a reference point for future scapes. Go by your drop checker and plant health. Many suggest moving your drop checker around the tank to check for co2 dead spots, then adjusting flow and rate accordingly.

Im not sure fast growers will make much difference this far in. In fact the plants ypu have should grow pretty quick if conditions are right. You could try plants with lower co2 demands, but for me your situation should be rectifyable without the neef to change your plants - you have all the right kit, somethings  just a wee bit off.


----------



## dw1305 (26 Oct 2019)

Hi all, 





The Accidental Aquascaper said:


> What is getting worse is the Hair Algae or Staghorn Algae.


What media do you have in your filter? We don't know what causes any algae, but I've found that an increase in organics often precipitates an out-break of Staghorn. 

I can see that the organic matter isn't in the tank, but if you have a lot of media in your filter it can impede flow and this might be the trigger.

cheers Darrel


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (26 Oct 2019)

Great, looks like there's a few things I can try before doing anything drastic.
Thanks guys, you gotta love this forum


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (27 Oct 2019)

I've just swapped over the in/out flows, which should give a better flow of Co2 to the plants at the back.

Biomaster 250 thermo with Co2
Co2 outlet - back right pointing left
Filter with Co2 inflow - front right

Biomaster 350
Other outlet - front left pointing right
Other inflow - back left

I switched on the Co2 and filters to check it was all working. Turns out that I've got the Co2 going through the filter first now. This isn't ideal as I'll get a build up of gas right? Is this the only disadvantage or is Co2 wasted somehow? I kind of feel it's got more like a reactor this way, as I have no bubbles coming out. Drop checker is turning a lovely lime green and possibly faster than normal.

After around 15 minutes of running it all, I noticed a ridiculous amount of bubbles coming out from most of the plants. The amount you see on George Farmer videos, which one can only envy at...well not anymore!
Is this my plants giving me the thumbs up?

Either way, it looks like a good start. I just need to stop a very slow leak on the valve connectors.


----------



## Kezzab (27 Oct 2019)

Good stuff. Co2 going through filter is fine. Gas may accumulate at the top and occassionally burp out. Some people find it makes the filter noisy, but not all.
K


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (31 Oct 2019)

I'm halfway through sorting out the plumbing and it occurred to me that my tank is not as deep (front to back) as most aquascape tanks.
I currently have both outlets in the same corner (back right pointing left) and the flow seems pretty good.
The plan is to put one of the outlets in the front left pointing right, but I'm wondering if both flows are interfering with each other.
Plan view diagram of tanks that should help explain.

What do you reckon, am I better off keeping them in the same corner?


----------



## Kezzab (31 Oct 2019)

If your plant growth is showing positive signs i wouldnt change anything just now. If you're not seeing an improvement after a couple of weeks then id start experimenting.
K


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (31 Oct 2019)

Kezzab said:


> If your plant growth is showing positive signs i wouldnt change anything just now. If you're not seeing an improvement after a couple of weeks then id start experimenting.
> K



I've only just done it. If it is better, should I see an improvement tomorrow or will it take a few days?


----------



## Kezzab (31 Oct 2019)

Ha! Tomorrow! Patience Grasshopper.

I'd give it 10 days to 2 weeks. If its right you will be seeing plenty of healthy new growth appearing.

If there's no change, try something else. But dont be faffing about changing stuff every few days, you'll give nothing a chance to have an impact and you wont know what is was you changed that made a difference. Slow is good.


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (1 Nov 2019)

Kezzab said:


> Good stuff. Co2 going through filter is fine. Gas may accumulate at the top and occassionally burp out. Some people find it makes the filter noisy, but not all.
> K



Is there a potential danger to the fish with the Co2 accumulating?
Just had a big burp and was wondering if this creates a burst of Co2 in the water?


----------



## Kezzab (1 Nov 2019)

No i don't think so, the co2 accumulates in your filter creating a big bubble, this will be diffusing into the water as water passes through your filter. The filter will then burp and that big bubble will come out, much of the resultant "bubble rush" into the tank will rise to the surface and pop. Not something i think i'd worry about.


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (2 Nov 2019)

Ok, I've finally sorted the slow leaks by getting some better quality tubing. Not even a hint of leakage!
I left one of the outlets hanging without the suckers and noticed the downward flow of the pipe seemed to push the water across the front section and down in to the carpet really well.
This is obviously an accident waiting to happen, so I  guess I'll have a look at a downward flow pipe. I imagine they're very rare.


----------



## Nuno Gomes (2 Nov 2019)

The Accidental Aquascaper said:


> Ok, I've finally sorted the slow leaks by getting some better quality tubing. Not even a hint of leakage!
> I left one of the outlets hanging without the suckers and noticed the downward flow of the pipe seemed to push the water across the front section and down in to the carpet really well.
> This is obviously an accident waiting to happen, so I  guess I'll have a look at a downward flow pipe. I imagine they're very rare.
> 
> View attachment 128716



Not rare at all, look for VIV Violet pipes, I have one (16/22) and it does exactly what you need.


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (3 Nov 2019)

Nuno Gomes said:


> Not rare at all, look for VIV Violet pipes, I have one (16/22) and it does exactly what you need.



Can't find the ViV pipes, but I found this at the Co2 Supermarket - https://www.co2supermarket.co.uk/glass-lily-pipe-outflow-16mm-22mm-downflow-p75.html


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## Nuno Gomes (3 Nov 2019)

The VIV pipe has an even more severe downward angle.
https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1Dvk....utflow-Glass-Pipe-same-quality-as-ADA-for.jpg
I got one for sale if you're interested, shipping from Portugal to the UK shouldnt be too expensive.


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## Kalum (3 Nov 2019)

I've got a Cal Aqua Labs lily which is great and along the lines of what you're describing as well so there are a few options out there depending on budget 

https://www.aquasabi.com/Cal-Aqua-Labs-Efflux-G3-17-mm


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (4 Nov 2019)

My Co2 cylinder is running out, but thankfully a refill is coming tomorrow.
The cylinder says there is 0 pressure, but there is still gas coming out.
However, my drop checker isn't going the lime green/yellow, even though it's right next to the outlet.

Are the last bits that come out from the cylinder just normal air?


----------



## Janci (4 Nov 2019)

The best way to find out would be to check your bubble counter.
I also tend to install the drop checker on the other side and away from the CO2 inlet. To make sure to see the an effect that can be reference for the rest of the water.


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (10 Nov 2019)

It’s got it’s problems, but it still makes me smile


----------



## HafMan (11 Nov 2019)

I really like this one. Also love your photoshop skills!


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (11 Nov 2019)

HafMan said:


> I really like this one. Also love your photoshop skills!



Thanks, I've been using photoshop for over 20 years, aquascaping 6 months. Would be nice to be able to use the rubber stamp tool when aquascaping


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (12 Nov 2019)

I think we may have some progress.
You can't see it that well in the photos, but the Rotala Bonsai is definitely showing signs of healthier growth. It's new leaves have the yellow/red colouring.
Both mosses are covered in bubbles and the carpet is even having a go at pearling too.
I've been trimming quite a bit, so it's difficult to tell, but I don't think the algae is getting worse.
Fingers crossed it's just small tweaks now.


----------



## SRP3006 (12 Nov 2019)

Could you tell me what the lily type plant in the second picture is please?
Very interesting plant.


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (12 Nov 2019)

SRP3006 said:


> Could you tell me what the lily type plant in the second picture is please?
> Very interesting plant.



Hydrocotyle Verticillata
It’s a bit too tall at the moment, but google it and you’ll see what it should look like in an aquarium.


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (15 Nov 2019)

Moss & Rocks - Is this a deficiency of some sort?
Looks like it's dying back in a few patches. Image below - healthy on the right and not so good on the left.
This is the low-tech cube and the moss is Riccardia Chamfhweuyagnblayfuqaghva or whatever it's called.
I do Ei ferts in this tank.


----------



## CooKieS (15 Nov 2019)

Looks like an 'Iron burn'.

Try to doss less Iron and/or micro.

Are you using liquid carbon ?

Cheers


----------



## dw1305 (15 Nov 2019)

Hi all, 





CooKieS said:


> Looks like an 'Iron burn'............Are you using liquid carbon?


<"Fertiliser burn"> for me as well. Mosses, fern prothallia and liverwort are particularly at risk from osmotic stress, because they don't have the protective leaf epidermis that a higher plant would have.

cheers Darrel


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (15 Nov 2019)

CooKieS said:


> Looks like an 'Iron burn'.
> Try to doss less Iron and/or micro.
> Are you using liquid carbon?




Read that as iron bum the first time, very confusing.
Doing less of something sounds good to me. I’ve been using the same amount per litre as the large tank, but I guess this tank has slightly less plant mass (ratio wise).
The weird thing is, I haven’t increased the amount, so I’m surprised it’s showing now rather than when I started dosing.

I don’t use liquid carbon. I have some somewhere though. Will it help or make things worse?


----------



## Kezzab (15 Nov 2019)

Random things happen. Give it a week, it'll probably fix itself. Dont rush to diagnose if it's been fine up to this point. Maybe just having a bad day. Seriously.


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (15 Nov 2019)

Kezzab said:


> Random things happen. Give it a week, it'll probably fix itself. Dont rush to diagnose if it's been fine up to this point. Maybe just having a bad day. Seriously.



It's water change day for that tank. Plus the Ei recommends a 'rest day', which is tomorrow, so hopefully it'll sort itself out soon.
Do others do rest days? Seems odd to me.


----------



## Kezzab (15 Nov 2019)

Im maybe the wrong person to ask... im not precise. Lots of folk stress about routines and timings and mixes and all this magic incantation stuff. I chuck in some all in one ferts when i change water, probably at about EI levels. It works for me. But i do make sure its a full moon.


----------



## Kalum (15 Nov 2019)

rest day is just for convenience to keep it simple dosing 3 days and 3 days for micro and macro, theres no science behind it other than you have already dosed your tank with EI levels of ferts by the 6th day so no need to add more on the 7th, your water will still contain nutrient build up from that week and then you WC to reset and go again


----------



## CooKieS (15 Nov 2019)

The Accidental Aquascaper said:


> Read that as iron bum the first time, very confusing.
> Doing less of something sounds good to me. I’ve been using the same amount per litre as the large tank, but I guess this tank has slightly less plant mass (ratio wise).
> The weird thing is, I haven’t increased the amount, so I’m surprised it’s showing now rather than when I started dosing.
> 
> I don’t use liquid carbon. I have some somewhere though. Will it help or make things worse?



Iron aren't needed in such High dosage in your kind of aquascape, just reduce the dosage and see. 

Got the same problem in my 60f tank few years ago, I reduced Iron from daily dose to once a week After WC and it worked.

Liquid carbon could 'burn' riccardia the same way if dosed too much Hence why I'm asking.


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (21 Nov 2019)

Overhang & Outcrop Upate

Tank is settling in to it's new configuration now and here's what's been happening.
It's definitely better all round, but I'm not out of the woods by a long way.

This photo has got a bit of everything. Hair algae, spot algae, new growth, lovely bubbles and possibly a limpet on the Hydro V.




Some nice growth at the bottom.




Frogbit seems happy enough.




And here's a view I don't often get to see.




Rotala Bonsai is going well. Some algae on the Hydro V.




Oh dear.




Oh deary deary me.




Oh FFS will you stop it!




Well there you go. It's a mixed bag as usual.
I don't really want to upset the balance, just hope the new regime will keep improving things.
Will be adding some fresh plants soon.


----------



## Kezzab (21 Nov 2019)

Hiya, trim off those algae covered leaves. They are old and damaged. If you start getting that sort of algae on new fresh growth then theres still a problem, if not then you are on tne right track.
K


----------



## CooKieS (22 Nov 2019)

I actually got the same algae on my pinnitififa...I'm now Overdosing excel, reducing ferts (Iron and no3, only dosing K) and get a good filter cleaning.

As kezzab said, just trim the affected leaves.


----------



## The Accidental Aquascaper (5 Dec 2019)

Things have been chugging along nicely for the large tank (I can't say that for the cube, but I'll leave that for another day).
I thought it would be a good idea to get some more plant mass in there, as I've had to trim the algae affected leaves.
I also wasn't happy with what was going on in the front left corner. Soil was slipping through cracks, so I haphazardly chucked in a few rocks.

Left corner before...the carnage!


 

The point at which I was wondering what on earth I was doing.


 

After...sigh of relief.


 

It's had some unintentional beneficial effects, more light and more flow. The right side needed a bit of attention too.
Here's a satisfying FTS before and after. It's a bit bigger than normal, to see more detail. Sorry if I'm smashing your data!


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (17 Dec 2019)

Quick update.
Things have been getting better very slowly. Still have some algae issues, but it's not coming back quite as quick.
Overall the vast majority of the plants are growing reasonably well, but I'm still struggling with the Hygro Pin. Even the Eriocaulon seems to be happy (3rd time trying too).


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (17 Dec 2019)

I also added a new rock, which is undergoing shrimp inspection!


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (18 Dec 2019)

Slightly concerned with the state of my Frogbit.
Please tell me this is a fert deficiency. Since there is more growth/plant mass, should I increase the dosage?
Thanks in advance


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## Edvet (18 Dec 2019)

Yess more plantmass needs more ferts. Young frogbit leaves seem healthy enough, so some better growth could be the clue, so i would indfeed try some more ferts.


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## dw1305 (18 Dec 2019)

Hi all, 





The Accidental Aquascaper said:


> Since there is more growth/plant mass, should I increase the dosage?





Edvet said:


> Young frogbit leaves seem healthy enough


 Yes, try a bit more. It is likely to be one (or more) out of the mobile plant nutrients  N: P: K or Mg.

If they don't show a pretty quick response, in terms of greening and growth, keep an eye on the size of the new leaves. If they carry on getting smaller, it is likely to be the start of iron (Fe) or manganese (Mn) deficiency.

cheers Darrel


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (24 Dec 2019)

Not quite an update, but I’m away from home and therefore the tank, so I just had to scratch that itch and make this wabi kusa.

I anticipated that I might need to take a break from the festive fun, so I brought a few essentials with me.
All the flora is from around the property we’re staying at. A couple are from the ruins of Corfe Castle, but please don’t tell the NT 

I’ve got an app to help me identify the flora, but I know you guys like a challenge! There’s 4 types in there.


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## dw1305 (24 Dec 2019)

Hi all,





The Accidental Aquascaper said:


> but I know you guys like a challenge!


The easy one is Pennywort (_Umbilicus rupestris_). The smaller plant could be Marjoram (_Origanum vulgare_), but I wonder if it is  Pellitory-of-the-Wall (_Parietaria judaica_)? Scent would tell you straight away.

After that I'm struggling.

cheers Darrel


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## Tim Harrison (24 Dec 2019)

The Accidental Aquascaper said:


> Quick update.
> Things have been getting better very slowly. Still have some algae issues, but it's not coming back quite as quick.
> Overall the vast majority of the plants are growing reasonably well, but I'm still struggling with the Hygro Pin. Even the Eriocaulon seems to be happy (3rd time trying too).
> 
> View attachment 129997


Looking really good. I like the palette of delicate textures you've created with the planting, and the way you've balanced it by maintaining an exposed hardscape


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## Filip Krupa (24 Dec 2019)

Tim Harrison said:


> Looking really good. I like the palette of delicate textures you've created with the planting, and the way you've balanced it by maintaining an exposed hardscape



Tim put it perfectly.
Amazing!!!


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (25 Dec 2019)

Thanks guys. Added a few more plants today. I’ll do my best to keep it going, but it’s my first attempt, so I’ve no idea how to maintain this thing. If all goes well I’ll post it’s progress.


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (30 Dec 2019)

Back from Dorset and I'm already seeing some growth in the Wabi Kusa.
It's in my Ikea grow light for herbs (thanks father christmas) at the moment, but I'll probably get it a small light of it's own.
Anyone have some suggestions for a small clip-on light?



 


 


Miraculously, there have been no major issues with the big tank. I didn't have internet for a couple of the mornings, so the Co2 came on later than it should. I had my Amazon echo camera on the tank and could see the drop checker was a dark green. So there's a bit of algae, but not a major infestation. My auto doser for the Ei ferts seems to be working well too. Will have an update on the doser in the coming week.

Tank from left


 

Tank from right


 

Carpet is the best I've seen it and the mosses are super happy.
Frogbit, Hyrdo V, Anubias, Eriocaulon and Buce are good/ok, but need a bit of something to make them as healthy as the carpet.
Rotala Bonsai is proving to be harder than expected. Looks a tad thin/pale and there is also algae on the older growth.
Hygro P, I am beginning to understand why this plant has it's reputation. For some it's a weed, for me it's just weedy. I will eventually cut the thick black stems, as I have planted some more Hyrgo P below them. You can see it beginning to poke out from the moss on the right.


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## Kezzab (30 Dec 2019)

Looking good. Trim all that pinnatifida hard and replant/stick the tops somewhere. That should encourage bushier growth.
K


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (4 Jan 2020)

I'm showing signs of MWKS (a variant of MTS)
Video of the build coming soon.


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (6 Jan 2020)

Wabi Kusa build video as promised.


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