# NACD Nature Aquarium



## Raquascape (3 Nov 2018)

So the time has come, I’m currently planning my very first high tech aquascape.

The tank will be a 60x30x35 NACD. I have plans for a Nature Aquarium style scape using Wood and rocks.

I currently have a friend building an ADA style cabinet out of 18mm MDF as I have been advised in another thread that my chest of drawers will not handle the weight lol!

Filtration will be the Oase thermo 300 and for lighting, the Twinstar 600EA.

The aquarium will be CO2 injected with The Aquascaper all in one fertiliser for plant nutrition.

For the substrate, I plan on using Tropica’s plant growth soil. 

I’m sure I’ll have many questions for you aquascape boffins!

Watch. This. Space.


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## CooKieS (4 Nov 2018)

Nice equipment, and welcome!


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## Raquascape (8 Nov 2018)

CooKieS said:


> Nice equipment, and welcome!



Thankyou for the welcoming.

Tank and hardscape are ordered just waiting for them to arrive, then a few weeks of hardscape planning and equipment gathering  

I may be a little excited...


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## Raquascape (13 Nov 2018)

Hi (slightly excited),

Regarding my setup, can anyone suggest lighting configs I should try out from the offset? I've edited the post now to the Twinstar 600EA which is adjustable (I prefer the metal legs p.s someone mentioned in another thread they'd get unsightly water spots and I'm a pain for OCD lol)

I have some questions already! 

- How long should I have the lights on for?
- A rough height to have the light above the water?
-When does CO2 come on/off?
-Do I need a dimmer?

I'm aware of getting a timer etc for all of this, thankyou in advance for the help.

R



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## Raquascape (17 Nov 2018)

So went down to the lfs today and found some pieces of wood I've been eyeing up for a while, £20 for both pieces can't go wrong! 

Here's my first layout attempt.






Rocks, aquarium and soil all arriving in the week so further hardscape planning can be done then  

Cheers guys,
R


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## Raquascape (17 Nov 2018)

Another layout


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## Raquascape (20 Nov 2018)

More things turned up today. Did a bit more scaping too. Let me know what you guys think. Still waiting on the tank!


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## Harry H (20 Nov 2018)

I like that bog wood on the left, it has character. I haven't done so but many folks here suggested to make a mock tank to try out and find your most favourite layout. That wood on one side, sitting on top of a pile of rocks, some beaches exposed out of the thank would look amazing imho. I will be watching this tread!


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## Konsa (20 Nov 2018)

Hi
May be try to lock the two pieces togeter too
Regards Konsa


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## Raquascape (20 Nov 2018)

I'm going to wait until the tank arrives Harry then I can get scaping properley! (Also being very careful not to damage the glass haha)

I'm going for a nature aquarium style with no beach, maybe a glosso carpet?

What do you mean by locking the wood together Konsa? I'm intrigued! 

Thanks for the comments guys


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## Konsa (20 Nov 2018)

Hi
I mean trying to put them together so they look like one more complex piece .Maybe a cable tie or two if U are happy with any of the attempts and U are done.
Also if planning carpet any smaller stones should be lifted off a bit and not pushed in the substrate .It will look odd as a start but If U dont do it the plants will just cover them completely once they grow in.
Regards Konsa


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## Daveslaney (20 Nov 2018)

You can use plastic cable ties to fasten the 2 pieces of wood together to look like one larger piece. Cover the cable ties with moss or simular plants to cover them.


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## Daveslaney (20 Nov 2018)

Sorry same time postings .


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## Raquascape (21 Nov 2018)

I see! 

A few late night scape attempts later I come up with these, I feel like this is going to take a while for me to decide lol!


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## CooKieS (21 Nov 2018)

Raquascape said:


> More things turned up today. Did a bit more scaping too. Let me know what you guys think. Still waiting on the tank!



That scape is nice, good flow and wood placement, just add some small stones and sand for détails.

As for an carpet, better stay with MC, marsilea or even HC cuba because glosso is an pain to maintain low (lots of trimming and light needed)


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## Raquascape (21 Nov 2018)

CooKieS said:


> That scape is nice, good flow and wood placement, just add some small stones and sand for détails.
> 
> As for an carpet, better stay with MC, marsilea or even HC cuba because glosso is an pain to maintain low (lots of trimming and light needed)



I like this one the best out of them all so far too, where would you suggest putting sand? I had in mind just a full carpet at the front as sand mixing with soil would really bug me haha! 

MC is I good idea. Thanks for the reply.


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## Raquascape (21 Nov 2018)

Scaping scaping scaping, tank comes Monday.


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## CooKieS (21 Nov 2018)

Looks Perfect to me. The stone placement is good too.

I would put sand in the middle part betweend the stones and soil left and right side, it will increase depth and you won't have to trim MC in the middle where the little roots are and which will make the trimming difficult


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## Raquascape (22 Nov 2018)

CooKieS said:


> Looks Perfect to me. The stone placement is good too.
> 
> I would put sand in the middle part betweend the stones and soil left and right side, it will increase depth and you won't have to trim MC in the middle where the little roots are and which will make the trimming difficult



Now begining to like the idea of sand! I had another scape and I like this one, here's pictures including height of the tank (350mm).

Quite a bit of the wood will be out the top and I haven't even included soil yet, hmmm. 






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## Raquascape (26 Nov 2018)

Tank arrived! Had a play around with hardscape, nothing is for definite yet as still waiting for a cabinet. 

This NACD aquarium is very clean. Excellent silicone work! 

Few more weeks and setup will be under way.

Cheers guys,
R


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## Raquascape (28 Nov 2018)

More tweaks and different angles! 

I've made my decision not to go with the sand as Im so fond of a lush green carpet (You can say 'I told you so' when I moan about how difficult it is to trim haha!) 

I wish I had everything now to get up and running, good things come to those who wait in this hobby however 

I'll update when I have the filter, light, stand etc. 

For now, cheers guys,
R


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## CooKieS (28 Nov 2018)

Nice!

just my 2 cents:

-Careful to not dig the stones that deep in the substrate because the carpet will hide them quickly.
-you could add one stone one the back (drawned it in red), to get more depth and better focal point




last one: good luck with trimming!


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## Raquascape (28 Nov 2018)

Thanks for the tips cookies! 

Added a stone at the back, indeed it does look better. 

Lifted all the stones a little, when the carpet grows in I'll be doing my best to keep the rocks visible!



P.S unfortunately the friend I had building me an ada style cabinet is loaded with work and hasn't the time to build it and I simply do not have the resources to do it myself 

So...

I've just ordered a simple stand online nothing special, I'm not too fussed about the stand as the tank will be in my room and not for 'Display' as such.

It's an open stand with no doors, noise from the filter won't bother me either ( I used to own an APS filter that sounded like a lawnmower and that never bothered me!) 

Here's a pic:




Cheers,
R


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## DutchMuch (28 Nov 2018)

looks great! the spiderwood on the RHS throws me off a bit, but im trying to imagine it planted


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## Raquascape (28 Nov 2018)

DutchMuch said:


> looks great! the spiderwood on the RHS throws me off a bit, but im trying to imagine it planted



Thanks!

Yes it all looks a little strange until you imagine it grown in and planted  

That takes me onto my next thought, plant suggestions? Chosen carpet is MC and dwarf hairgrass for detail. 

Cheers,
R


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## Harry H (28 Nov 2018)

Do you have enough space between the wood and the glass at the back? It looks very tight, might be just the camera angle. You would have really hard time getting your hand in to clean if so.


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## Raquascape (28 Nov 2018)

Harry H said:


> Do you have enough space between the wood and the glass at the back? It looks very tight, might be just the camera angle. You would have really hard time getting your hand in to clean if so.



Thankyou for asking, there's actually not alot of space between the wood and the glass at the back, in some instances it's actually touching. 

I prefer this instead of wood touching the front. I would rather have algae buildup on the back glass as this won't really be seen once grown in.

Please advise if I'm wrong! 

Cheers,
R


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## Raquascape (1 Dec 2018)

Stand arrived. I'm pleased with how it looks!


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## CooKieS (1 Dec 2018)

It looks like my first tank stand when I was a kid, still using it to support some home decor on my floor 15 years later


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## Raquascape (10 Dec 2018)

Twinstar light arrived along with the filter. Edging closer to setup!


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## Harry H (10 Dec 2018)

Raquascape said:


> Twinstar light arrived along with the filter. Edging closer to setup!


I was planning to get that filter for my 40 cube, looking forward to reading your review on it later. It is a nice filter on paper, and with built in heater.


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## Raquascape (10 Dec 2018)

Harry H said:


> I was planning to get that filter for my 40 cube, looking forward to reading your review on it later. It is a nice filter on paper, and with built in heater.



I’ll let you know how it goes. The built in heater is a huge plus!


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## CooKieS (10 Dec 2018)

Christmas before Time!


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## Siege (10 Dec 2018)

Hi,

Like the scape. Wood is very strong. Think about adding a few larger stones. And using the smaller ones left nearer the front, you’ll end up losing the current stones under plants and being stoneless otherwise 

Ps. Filter smart is good but needs regular cleaning than the biomaster to ensure max flow.

Pps.get a dimmer for your light if you haven’t already!
S.


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## Raquascape (13 Dec 2018)

Siege said:


> Hi,
> 
> Like the scape. Wood is very strong. Think about adding a few larger stones. And using the smaller ones left nearer the front, you’ll end up losing the current stones under plants and being stoneless otherwise
> 
> ...



Thanks for the kind words!

I've raised the stones a little bit I'll keep on top of maintenance to keep them showing 

Cheers for the tip on the filter and yes I have a dimmer for it, any suggestions on what level to start at? 



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## Siege (13 Dec 2018)

Assuming the dimmer is the up and down one - it has 16 settings. Start at 10 and go up one every week.


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## Siege (13 Dec 2018)

Ps. Do think about adding more stone work. You’d only need 2 or 3 medium sized pieces.


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## Raquascape (13 Dec 2018)

Yep it's the up and down one from Aquarium Gardens. Cheers for the advice I'll give it a go once it's planted and filled 

Here's a picture of the rock placement now, the bottom is what it was like before and the top is the newest version. 



Cheers,
R


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## CooKieS (13 Dec 2018)

Nice,

I think the middle "path" can still be improved; it's a bit 'straight' at the moment.

Try adding small stones on the back to increase depth for example.


Cheers


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## Raquascape (13 Dec 2018)

CooKieS said:


> Nice,
> 
> I think the middle "path" can still be improved; it's a bit 'straight' at the moment.
> 
> ...



I'm a big fan of the scapes like the picture below, I don't mind the 'path' being straight! 



I'll have a play around with the stones over the weekend, you're right about the smaller ones being toward the back. It will definitely create more depth. Once planted they may disappear though. Hmm, lots to think about!

If someone could please advise on fertiliser dosage, co2 bps / when to turn co2 on/off, how often to w/c and photoperiod in the first few weeks that would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers,
R


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## Ady34 (14 Dec 2018)

Hi R,
the rock placement is much better now, having more weight to the rocks grounds the wood and ensures they won’t be lost on planting.
Cheerio
Ady.


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## Raquascape (14 Dec 2018)

Neat little water change technique which will make things easier.


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## Raquascape (17 Dec 2018)

Added a frosted film on the back to hide the imperfections on the wall. Looks good! It’s added some depth too.


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## Raquascape (28 Dec 2018)

Ready for kickoff next week!


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## CooKieS (29 Dec 2018)

Nice setup! 

For an better CO2 diffusion, you can try the p.oliveira method which is the one I'm trying now (and it's working perfectly atm);

Put the co2 diffusor at the outlet of the eheim skim. 

Cheers


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## Raquascape (9 Jan 2019)

Okay so setup is this Monday coming, it's so good to have a date confirmed!

A few questions before setup. Thanks for the help in advance.

I will start the lights on the 10th step of 16 on the dimmer with a 7hr lighting period. Is this a good place to start?

Do I need to dose any EA Aquascaper fert from the start?

CO2 will turn on 2hrs before the lights turn on and turn off 1hr before the lights go off. Does this sound right?

What is the best temperature in °C for the tank?

How often  and how much do I need to water change in the first week, second week, third etc? 

Any other tips would be appreciated.

Cheers guys,
Raquascape.


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## CooKieS (9 Jan 2019)

Hi,

I had best results with tropica soil when following this:

6hours/day of light is enough for the first month, then add 30min every 2 weeks and watch for algae.

Dosing; just potassium (i use ada brighty K) and liquid CO2 (i use easycarbo) to encourage growth and avoid algae. For the first month, then add graduelly some micros after WC.

WC: 50% per week or 30% every 4 days is more than enough with tropica soil.

Temp: under 25 degrees is great to slow algae and keep mosses green and healthy.

Finally, make sure to have plenty of CO2 available for plants; lime green drop checker when lights are On is a must.

Good luck and enjoy


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## Raquascape (9 Jan 2019)

Thanks for the tips cookies as always great to hear from you.

I’ll stick with 6hrs of light cheers! As for the fertiliser I’m using EA Aquascaper, would just 1ml a day or something be good for the first week or two? Up it to 3ml the next 2 weeks after that and 5ml a day once growth is really under way? 5ml/50l a day is what’s recommended by George Farmer and in his videos, seems to get him some great healthy plant growth. 

Thanks for the water change tips I’ll go for the 3 days option that’s fits my routine haha!

Still yet to fit the regulator onto the FE, fingers crossed it doesn’t explode..lol

Cheers,
R


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## Raquascape (15 Jan 2019)

Planted!







And a day later... Cloudy water! What causes this? 



Plant list:
Anubias petite
Buce red
Eleocharis mini
Crypt Nevellii
Monte Carlo
Staurogene repens
Crypt walkeri
Hygrophila pinnatifida
Trident fern
Pogostemon erectus
Rotala green
Christmas moss

Currently dosing 2ml EA aquascaper fertiser a day and the recommended dose of Seachem stability until the bottle runs out. 

You can't see the crypts as I have followed the Juris method of cutting them back to allow new growth and no melt.

I'm so glad it's finally setup, the scape has transformed my room. 

Any tips, advice always welcomed.

Cheers,
Raquascape


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## Siege (15 Jan 2019)

Looking good!

I assume you’ve fitted the dimmer to the light?

If the plants were tisssue culture you need to dose full level of ferts from the start as the plants haven’t any reserves.


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## Raquascape (15 Jan 2019)

Siege said:


> Looking good!
> 
> I assume you’ve fitted the dimmer to the light?
> 
> If the plants were tisssue culture you need to dose full level of ferts from the start as the plants haven’t any reserves.



Thanks!

Yes it's the twinstar dimmer on step 10 of 16.
Suggested is 5ml a day so reckon up the dose?


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## Siege (15 Jan 2019)

Yes up the ferts dose as per bottle. The tissue culture plants will need it and respond nicely.

Don’t worry about going high co2 at the moment with no livestock in.

Dimmer level 10 is good, turn it up 1 per week as you see fit. Hope you are pleased with the light.


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## Raquascape (15 Jan 2019)

Siege said:


> Yes up the ferts dose as per bottle. The tissue culture plants will need it and respond nicely.
> 
> Don’t worry about going high co2 at the moment with no livestock in.
> 
> Dimmer level 10 is good, turn it up 1 per week as you see fit. Hope you are pleased with the light.



Thanks for the tips, yes the light it's fantastic, great bit of kit!


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## Raquascape (16 Jan 2019)

So water change plan/routine at the moment is everyday 30-40%. After the first week every other day, third week every 3 days then 4th week every 4 days. Sound like a plan?

Woods developing the white slime on it but that's to be expected.

Drop checker is a very light green near yellow. 

I'll post some close up pictures once the water has cleared more.

Cheers, 
R


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## Raquascape (16 Jan 2019)

After a quick water change I have just noticed the crypts already shooting new leaves! It's only been 2 days since setup. In the second picture there was a crypt I buried next to a rock and a shoot has grown from under it. 

Also included a picture of the white slime on the wood. 

P.S sorry about the pictures. iPhone.


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## CooKieS (17 Jan 2019)

Raquascape said:


> So water change plan/routine at the moment is everyday 30-40%. After the first week every other day, third week every 3 days then 4th week every 4 days. Sound like a plan?
> 
> Woods developing the white slime on it but that's to be expected.
> 
> ...



That's an lot of WC, but as you want, tropica soil is very forgiving.

Plenty of CO2 will help plant transition so that's an good thing

Slime can be sucked up when WC or put some snails to eat it.

I wouldn't dose any macros or micros yet. Some K and liquid carbon would help but that's All. Keep an eye on plant growth and algae and don't dose until you see stunted growth.

Nice to see another 60p journal


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## Raquascape (17 Jan 2019)

CooKieS said:


> That's an lot of WC, but as you want, tropica soil is very forgiving.
> 
> Plenty of CO2 will help plant transition so that's an good thing
> 
> ...



Cheers for the tips cookies! 

I'm keeping on top of WCs, after all in nature the water is constantly changed haha!

Maybe I'll get some snails magically turn up from eggs on the plants hmm  

60p squad! 

Cheers,
R


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## Raquascape (19 Jan 2019)

Taken 30 mins before lights off


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## Jayefc1 (19 Jan 2019)

Looks good can't.wait to.see it mature


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## Raquascape (21 Jan 2019)

1 week in! I really ought to invest in a decent camera...


Pinniftida, crypts, MC all showing sigs of new growth which is great. You can see the new shoots coming out of the crypts and the MC is growing nice and flat which I'm chuffed about plus the moss looking much greener.  






I’ve been using the bottle dose of Seachem Stability as part of the everyday water changes for the past week along with 4ml EA aquascaper fert a day. 

The water changes this week are every other day. 

I was wondering if I could pick up a small cleanup crew for my unsightly wood mould, towards the end of the week, 5~ Amanos who knows. The water quality needs to be okay first however so we’ll see this week goes. 

No major algae signs so far *fingers crossed*

Cheers guys,
R


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## Ady34 (22 Jan 2019)

Looking great.
I think with your plant mass and growth then adding a small shrimp cuc, which offer little to a bioload, will be fine in week 5 and will have your wood clean as a whistle in no time 
Cheerio,
Ady.


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## Raquascape (22 Jan 2019)

Ady34 said:


> Looking great.
> I think with your plant mass and growth then adding a small shrimp cuc, which offer little to a bioload, will be fine in week 5 and will have your wood clean as a whistle in no time
> Cheerio,
> Ady.



Thanks for the compliments Ady.

So no shrimp until 5 weeks have passed? 

I don’t know what cuc means sorry haha! 

Cheers, 
R


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## Raquascape (22 Jan 2019)

Rock removed that held the wood down. Can’t wait till this grows in. 

If anyone has plant suggestions for the blank space in the middle towards the back that would be appreciated as I can’t decide myself, cheers!

R


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## Ady34 (22 Jan 2019)

Raquascape said:


> Thanks for the compliments Ady.
> 
> So no shrimp until 5 weeks have passed?
> 
> ...


Sorry, I had misread your previous post which referred to “the end of the week, 5 amano shrimp”, I had read as the end of week 5. You are week 2 now, so still early days but if you can get some seeded filter media from another hobbyist I think a small group of shrimp will be ok, however normally it is best to leave for around 6 weeks.
Cuc is ‘clean up crew’.
Ady.


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## CooKieS (23 Jan 2019)

I heard that shrimps aren't sensitive to ammonia so you could add them now (from tropica starter guide)


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## Jayefc1 (23 Jan 2019)

There not to sensitive it's more the constant changing conditions with the water changes your doin that slow down as the weeks pass I believe


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## CooKieS (23 Jan 2019)

I wouldn't add any shrimps yet, as the carpet is not full and they love to doing mess in the soil...

Some snails would help to reduce fungus on Wood and so on


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## Raquascape (23 Jan 2019)

CooKieS said:


> I wouldn't add any shrimps yet, as the carpet is not full and they love to doing mess in the soil...
> 
> Some snails would help to reduce fungus on Wood and so on



Carpet seems to be rooting well, I’ll add a few and deal with the mess haha! 

Can’t buy snails from any of my lfs unfortunately and I’m not one for buying livestock online.

Cheers,
R


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## Raquascape (23 Jan 2019)

Bolbitis added


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## Konsa (23 Jan 2019)

Hi
Wait a while.Its not a big deal.It goes as it comes.Ottos,shrimp and snails  will eat it overnight when tank is ready.
Meanwhile have some toothbrush exercise
Regards Konsa


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## Raquascape (23 Jan 2019)

Yeah I’m going to wait another week or so thanks for the advice guys. No need to rush, the plant growth is entertaining enough for now haha 

Picture before lights off tonight




Cheers,
Ra


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## Daveslaney (24 Jan 2019)

Looks nice. Well done.


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## Raquascape (24 Jan 2019)

Cheers for the kind words Dave, took ages to plan! I’m glad the plants are looking healthy and growing, I have a question for you guys however...

My drop checker looks like this 5 minutes before lights off. The co2 comes on 2hrs before lights come on and off 1 hour before the lights go off.


My question is, how do I slowly tailor the co2 timings/levels to read green all the time as livestock will be introduced around the 4-5 week?

I want to ease it in to avoid algae at all costs lol!

Any help on this would be appreciated. 

The hard scape used in this tank had a pretty wild ride from lfs to home. 



Cheers guys,
Ra


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## Raquascape (28 Jan 2019)

Evening all,

Any help with my co2 question? 

Cheers guys,
Ra


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## CooKieS (29 Jan 2019)

Don't worry about co2, livestock can be used to these high levels of co2 without any problem.


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## Raquascape (29 Jan 2019)

Thanks cookies, your help is always appreciated!

So a day into week 3, top picture is today and bottom the day after setup.



Good growth all around!

The Pogestemon is finally growing, the Rotala is also growing fast and adapting nicely. The Pinnifitida’s older leaves have melted away making room for the lush new growth. Monte Carlo and Eleocharis are spreading well. Buce’s and Anubias have new roots and looks to be shooting new growth. Crypts looking healthy with the new submerged leaves, the Staurogene too! 

Starting to see some brown diatoms on the glass, nothing on the plants as of yet  I’ll have a good maintenance session tomorrow and clean this up.

Here’s a filtered in situ picture  



Cheers guys,
R


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## Raquascape (31 Jan 2019)

Before and after maintenance. Bottom is before.


Small bit of melt on the MC bottom right. This is the side where I top up after a water change. Could this have something to do with it? 

I promised some close ups..









Different angles and current FTS








Cheers guys,
Ra


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## CooKieS (31 Jan 2019)

seems very healthy congrats.

About mc, is your topup water at the good temp. Otherwise don't worry too much, it's still in transition phase.


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## akwarium (31 Jan 2019)

Very interesting scape, plants seem to be growing well!


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## Raquascape (31 Jan 2019)

Thanks for the kind words guys!

Cookies, yes I do try to keep the water temp as close as possible to the norm, your right, must be a transitional thing  

Chuffed with the plant growth.

P.S 

Should have a few Amanos this weekend. I'll keep you updated as always.

Cheers,
R


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## CooKieS (31 Jan 2019)

Raquascape said:


> Thanks for the kind words guys!
> 
> Cookies, yes I do try to keep the water temp as close as possible to the norm, your right, must be a transitional thing
> 
> ...



You're welcome.

Beware with the amanos, they can make some serious mess with the soil while your carpet is not full.

If you absolutely want them now, take the smallest ones!


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## Raquascape (31 Jan 2019)

Thanks for the tip, I can only imagine the destruction large Amanos would cause lol! My LFS only has small ones, jobs a gooden


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## Raquascape (2 Feb 2019)

6 Amanos added. They're great, and seem to be settling in well  

Acclimated for 2 1/2 hours on drip.







Cheers!
R


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## Raquascape (2 Feb 2019)




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## Raquascape (3 Feb 2019)

Woke up this morning to no shrimp in the tank. I panicked!

Upon checking the skimmer I found them all there. I have got mesh blocking the inlets but somehow they have climbed over it and dropped into the skimmer. 

Any suggestions for a better method of keeping them out? 




Cheers guys,
R


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## Raquascape (3 Feb 2019)

Solution


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## Tim Harrison (3 Feb 2019)

Make it much smaller and put it inside the top skimmer part.


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## Raquascape (3 Feb 2019)

Tim Harrison said:


> Make it much smaller and put it inside the top skimmer part.



That's what I did before and they climbed over it haha! I can't make the mesh any taller either or the whole top portion would just sink under water even on the lowest setting.

I don't mind the eye sore as long as the shrimp are okay 

Cheers,
Ra


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## Tim Harrison (3 Feb 2019)

Oh okay, I think Zeus has his skimmer on a timer to stop every hour or so to give the shrimp chance to climb out. Might be worth a go


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## CooKieS (3 Feb 2019)

Well, I was looking to get some shrimps for my 60p but that pic.. Lucky you they aren't dead.


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## Raquascape (3 Feb 2019)

CooKieS said:


> Well, I was looking to get some shrimps for my 60p but that pic.. Lucky you they aren't dead.



Theyre okay now! Lucky the flow on my skimmer is on the lowest setting. Make sure to take extra precautions with the Skimmer if you get shrimp, I've learnt my lesson. This method with the gauze works well so far


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## Raquascape (3 Feb 2019)

I cut the gauze down too. Looks neat IMO.


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## Daveslaney (3 Feb 2019)

I run mine on a timer to just run at night for 6 hrs. Still keeps the surface clear but I only get the odd cherry shrimp in it now,where before it was full of them every time I cleaned it.


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## Raquascape (3 Feb 2019)

Daveslaney said:


> I run mine on a timer to just run at night for 6 hrs. Still keeps the surface clear but I only get the odd cherry shrimp in it now,where before it was full of them every time I cleaned it.



The timer idea would be great but the skimmer is my main source of flow for the co2 distribution as demonstrated by Fillipe Oliveira.

Reflecting on this morning, I never want to see a shrimp in there again.. They looked almost frightened. And boy was they happy to be out,  I've never saw shrimp swimming around a tank so fast in my life haha!

More melt on the MC I've just noticed, opposite end of the tank. 

Is melt common on 1-2 grow MC in new setups? 

Cheers guys,
R


----------



## CooKieS (3 Feb 2019)

Nice solution you got there man, mine is running 24/7 too as I use the same method to have good flow of CO2.

I think the gauge will help to avoid any plants cutting to get in there too and still be efficient enough to help after trimming.

I might try this If I find some nice shrimp, thanks for pics and tip!


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## Raquascape (4 Feb 2019)

I'm glad my creativity has inspired you cookies! 

In regards to the MC melt... It seems to be spreading to whatever it touches, the crypts and the hairgrass are now showing signs of melt. Ideas?





Cheers,
R


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## CooKieS (4 Feb 2019)

Is your CO2 24/7?


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## Raquascape (4 Feb 2019)

CooKieS said:


> Is your CO2 24/7?



On 2hrs before lights, off 1hr before lights off 


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## Raquascape (4 Feb 2019)

Okay some self diagnosis time...

I have reduced the light by two steps on the dimmer to slow down growth and melt. I have also changed the CO2 so it comes on 3hrs before lights and off 2hrs before lights off. 

I've done some deep reading and discovered the drop checker needs to read lime green as soon as the lights are on. Mine was currently reading a dark green when the lights came on causing a CO2 deficiency when the plants most need it. 

This change should give me a lime green checker when the lights come on and drop off sooner when the plants do not require the CO2 as much. 

After some thinking on my water change technique I have noticed a problem. I refill the last part of the aquarium straight out the bucket onto the lilly to minimise disruption but coincidentally this is in the same location where the plants are experiencing the most melt. Also, when water changing, the filter is left on, causing a huge change in the rate of flow due to less water in aquarium. This is causing damage to the structure of some other plants, you guessed it, where the other patch of melt is beginning. 

I will be removing as much melt as I can tomorrow with a big maintenance session.

Water changes will now occur with the filter off and the water added very slowly at the end taking care to not disrupt any plants. 

I feel like this is a big contributor to the demise of the MC, there is definitely structural damage coming from the fresh water and flow out the lilly pipe during a water change.

Hopefully this edges towards finding the balance, it's still early days and I love a challenge. I'll keep you guys updated.

Cheers!
Ra


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## Harry H (5 Feb 2019)

Maybe doing a pH profile might help to get the CO2 right?


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## Raquascape (5 Feb 2019)

Harry H said:


> Maybe doing a pH profile might help to get the CO2 right?



Please explain how I would do this, cheers!


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## CooKieS (5 Feb 2019)

Hi,

You can leave the co2 running 24/7 at lower bps..with the twinstar and the skimmer always on, there is almost no danger for the livestock.

I'm doing that in all my tank since 2 years and never had any problem, just make sure the drop checker stays in the green zone.


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## Raquascape (5 Feb 2019)

Hmm I will think about it.

Just had a huge maintenance session, cleaned everything and removed nearly all the melting plants. 




Hopefully things improve with the new CO2 and water change regime.

Cheers!
R


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## Raquascape (8 Feb 2019)

Not saw many shrimp the past few days. But today all of a sudden they've all showed up! Upon further inspection I found some molt, they must have been hiding. 



Fish tomorrow. I'll keep the species a secret until then.

Cheers!
Ra


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## Raquascape (9 Feb 2019)

P.S,

I have made some improvements to the tank. I finally managed to get some mesh in the skimmer how Tim mentioned without it sinking, this solution is much less of an eye sore and plus the top portion is nice and boyant unlike before (I have no idea why it didn't work before haha!).
The skimmer is now at the back left of the aquascape creating a much better flow around the whole tank whilst still diffusing the co2 at the same rate as before. I've been able to crank the speed up on the skimmer too, providing  a good current around the tank in a clockwise rotation. 
The Pogostemon has been struggling from the lack of flow, this should help it!

Flow




FTS last one before fish




Cheers guys, 
Ra


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## Raquascape (9 Feb 2019)

11 Rummynose Tetra added today, they’re being shy and hiding under the wood. I’ll post some pictures tomorrow. The employees at Maidenhead Aquatics mentioned it would take a day or two for them to be comfortable in the tank. 

I’ll keep you posted.

Cheers,
Ra


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## CooKieS (11 Feb 2019)

Raquascape said:


> 11 Rummynose Tetra added today, they’re being shy and hiding under the wood. I’ll post some pictures tomorrow. The employees at Maidenhead Aquatics mentioned it would take a day or two for them to be comfortable in the tank.
> 
> I’ll keep you posted.
> 
> ...



Rummynose gets an little too big for this tank IMO.


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## Raquascape (11 Feb 2019)

They seem happy enough, colouring up nicely already and starting to venture around, caught them this morning shoaling back and forth. They had a feed this morning and took it well! 

Cheers,
Ra


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## CooKieS (11 Feb 2019)

Raquascape said:


> They seem happy enough, colouring up nicely already and starting to venture around, caught them this morning shoaling back and forth. They had a feed this morning and took it well!
> 
> Cheers,
> Ra


 
Well, I don't Doubt they will be OK un your setup mate. 

But there are so many small tetra species that would suit this 60p better that I'm a little disapointed by your fish choice


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## Raquascape (12 Feb 2019)

I have a feeling my dosing wasn't enough for the aquarium, noticed some holes on maybe 5 or so leaves and slight yellowing. I was only dosing 5ml a day as per the bottle but that was for 50L. I've upped the dosing to 7ml a day to see if plant health improves, fingers crossed! I did some reading and someone mentioned MC can brown and melt due to a Potassium deficiency. I will monitor the tank this week and update tomorrow with a picture after maintence 

Cheers,
R


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## Jayefc1 (12 Feb 2019)

What is your light set on the ferts should be fine as there isn't a massive plant mass in there as of yet


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## Raquascape (12 Feb 2019)

Jayefc1 said:


> What is your light set on the ferts should be fine as there isn't a massive plant mass in there as of yet



Step 10 of 16 matey


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## Jayefc1 (12 Feb 2019)

So just over 60% on the twinstar maybe a little to high for a new tank mine is only on 70% and tank is 3 months old and I dose 5ml tnc daily on a 45p


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## Raquascape (12 Feb 2019)

Thanks for the tips dude, my plan for tomorrow was to get some tropica floating plants (Salvinia Auriculata) from Pets at Home (I was shocked to find they stock these!). This will reduce the light level and provide vital cover for my shy rummies. Hopefully they have Siamensis 53B in stock too, the tank is missing a broad leafed stem plant. 

Updates tomorrow..!

Cheers,
R


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## Jayefc1 (12 Feb 2019)

Are you using TNC ferts


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## Raquascape (12 Feb 2019)

Jayefc1 said:


> Are you using TNC ferts



EA Aquascaper nutrition. I thought maybe changing ferts may help also, thoughts?


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## Raquascape (13 Feb 2019)




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## Raquascape (13 Feb 2019)

Before and after


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## Daveslaney (14 Feb 2019)

You could try reposioning your co2 diffuser to the front left of your tank oposite your lily pipe outflow. This way the flow from your lily pipe will hit the oposite glass travel down over the co2 diffuser back along the bottom taking max co2 to your mc plus forground carpet plants, see if this improves things.
Nice tank btw.


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## Raquascape (14 Feb 2019)

The skimmer is positioned so it distributes the co2 from back right to the front, the lily then circulates it round further. Thanks for the kind comment, this tank has now taken a jungle turn which I'm enjoying, I've always been a fan of a Nature aquarium style scape. 

Cheers,
Ra


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## Raquascape (14 Feb 2019)

Video for an example  



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## Raquascape (19 Feb 2019)

Evening all,

Few zebra danios added yesterday to give the rummies more confidence, it's worked a treat! All fish now happily swimming together and feeding really well. Plant growth is picking up, MC has really done well after the large melt previously. Still keeping up with WCs, 2 or 3 50% per week. EA Aquascaper nutrition now increased to 8ml a day, plants have responded very well to this, less signs of deficiencies and no extra algae growth. 

Quick FTS









Cheers!
Ra


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## Jayefc1 (20 Feb 2019)

Lookin nice mate


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## Raquascape (23 Feb 2019)

FTS, new phone!



Lights have only just come on so the fish are a little shy.

Got some new food for them today, Dennerle Nano Gran. Heard good reviews on it.

Cheers guys,
Ra


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## Raquascape (26 Feb 2019)

Quick update, this time via video! Enjoy. 


I have an Instagram profile if you want to see more, check it out! @Raquascape

Cheers,
Ra


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## Raquascape (3 Mar 2019)

I've added some more Seiryu stone to the scape, adds more depth to the valley though the middle. What do you think guys think?





The tank is currently going through a diatoms stage. Should clear up in no time. 

Unfortunately I have lost 3 zebra danios due to jumping. RIP. 

Thoughts on adding a couple otos and more Amanos? 

Cheers guys,
Ra


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## CooKieS (3 Mar 2019)

Looks nicer with that added stones! Well done.

Plants looks OK too but be aware that lilaeopsis will eat that foreground once acclimated.

Otos loves an mature tank, so less than 2 months is an little soon but why not.

How many japonica do you got? I would add about 10 in a 60p.

Cheers mate


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## Raquascape (3 Mar 2019)

Yeah it's good to see more stone in the tank, it provides a much better viewing experience. Plus it has created some small caves/tunnels for livestock to swim through, very entertaining to watch  

I know the lilaeopsis will reign terror on the foreground but I don't mind a jungle/mixed feel, I love the Nature Aquarium style! 

Yeah I'll hold back on the Amanos and Otto's for another week. 2 or3 Otos and another 5 Amano will be added next week. That makes 10 Amanos 

Cheers!
Ra


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## Raquascape (6 Mar 2019)

Beginning to see more and more brown alage in the tank. I've began more frequent WCs, turned the light down a notch and increased the CO2.

I'm thinking of buying the Chihiros doctor, leaving the CO2 on 24/7 and getting a couple Otos and 5 more Amanos to help battle this. 

Thoughts? 

Cheers!
R


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## CooKieS (7 Mar 2019)

Mhhh...are these diatoms algae?

If yes, they should have been already destroyed by snails, shrimps and oto + beneficial bacteria.

Before trying the 24/7 co2, do you have enough bacteria media in your filter?
Fill All the filter with good bacteria support like eheim substrat pro, juste leave one stage of mesh.
Beneficial bacteria will fight Brown algae...chihiros won't help for that.

Are you using RO or tape water? If tape, be sure to use some good dechlorinator, I use easy life filter medium.

I wouldn't touch the light, plants need it to grow and it won't affect diatoms.

If that doesn't work, you could always try the CO2 24/7

Cheers


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## Raquascape (9 Mar 2019)

Thanks for the reply cookies  

Here are pictures of the algae:





I use Seachem matrix in my filter, I had a look at it the other week during maintenance seems to be building up a good colony (I hope haha!)

I also use Seachem matrix as my dechlorinator with tap water. The tap water in my area is classed as 'Moderately soft' 

I've begun the battle on algae and carried out a huge maintenance session yesterday. The Bolbitis was covered in this thread like algae but the new growth toward the rhizome was healthy so the old leaves have been trimmed back to the rhizome. The moss has also had the algae removed and trimmed back. Glass cleaned and using a air hose I removed as much waste organics as possible by wafting my hand around every nook and crevice. The wood has been scrubbed too to remove any last bits of algae. 

Chihiros doctor has now been installed. And CO2 is now on 24/7. Dosing remains the same. 

Even if the Chihiros does not contribute much it sure as hell looks cool when it turns on  





Cheers,
Ra


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## dw1305 (9 Mar 2019)

Hi all,





Raquascape said:


> I use Seachem matrix in my filter, I had a look at it the other week during maintenance seems to be building up a good colony (I hope haha!)


Depends on what it looks like, strangely you might actually need a bit for flow through the filter. 

You only tend to get the thick, slimy, microbial films where you don't have <"enough oxygen to fully complete nitrification">.  

We don't know what causes <"filamentous diatom"> (_Fragilaria_) "outbreaks", but they look like they may be associated with higher levels of organic compounds. Diatoms are pretty much universal anywhere you have liquid water and there is a lot of scientific interest in using <"their assemblage as a biotic index">. This is partially because they have persistent silica skeletons, so you can get historical diatom assemblage data from sediment cores, but also because their relative abundance looks to be a sensitive indicator of nutrient status.

If the filter is pulling in a lot of organic debris (dead leaves, faeces etc.) or you have fine foam or floss in the filter you are much more likely to end up with filter media which is microbially clogged and, at least partially, anaerobic. This is one of the reasons why they like the <"Kaldnes (K1) type floating cell media"> in salmon aquaculture etc., it is self cleaning and naturally continually sheds any excess biofilm. 

People who don't keep planted tanks often look on simultaneous nitrification and denitrification in the filter as a good thing (because it reduces nitrate levels), but you run the continual risk that the aerobic/anaerobic balance will tip over the edge and you end up in a system where ammonia (NH3) & nitrite (NO2) levels start to rise, <"with inevitably fatal results">.  

Because we have plants and a substrate we are at less risk  of rising ammonia, but we also don't need denitrification in the filter, the plants will mop up the nitrate (and NH4+, NO2-) for us.

cheers Darrel


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## Raquascape (9 Mar 2019)

Thank you for the detailed explanation Darrel, I now understand things much better! 

My filter consists of only coarse media, purigen and Seachem Matrix. 

The matrix has a brown colour to it (previously white). Based on what you say, adding the chihiros should improve things, by adding more oxygen. 

Many thanks,
R


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## dw1305 (9 Mar 2019)

Hi all,





Raquascape said:


> The matrix has a brown colour to it (previously white)


That sounds good. 





Raquascape said:


> Based on what you say, adding the chihiros should improve things, by adding more oxygen.


It won't do any harm. 

Plants are the real oxygen factories, once you have actively growing plants every thing else is really froth.

cheers Darrel


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## Raquascape (11 Mar 2019)

Otocinclus doing a great job. You can see the difference on the Anubias and bucephalabdra! Fish seem happier with the Chihiros installed, more O2 for them. Bottom pic is before 24/7 co2 and otos.


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## Raquascape (14 Mar 2019)

I did some TDS readings. My tap water reads 300ppm and my tank 590ppm. Can anyone enlighten me on what this all means?


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## CooKieS (14 Mar 2019)

Raquascape said:


> I did some TDS readings. My tap water reads 300ppm and my tank 590ppm. Can anyone enlighten me on what this all means?


 holy molly , that can explain your diatoms and growth problems!

That is very very high, it's considered 'average good' with 100-150ppm in the tank.

That means your water is very hard, that's not good for plants, fish and even worse for the shrimp.

With an tap water of 300ppm, you better use RO water, at least 50% RO 50%Tap.

Cheers


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## Raquascape (14 Mar 2019)

Dang. Now I see where my issues have came from. 

Looks like I need to do some reading into RO.

Thanks cookies,

Ra


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## Raquascape (14 Mar 2019)

RO Unit ordered. 

Any suggestions on how much RO water to use in respect to tap water for the transition to RO?

Cheers!
R


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## Iain Sutherland (14 Mar 2019)

CooKieS said:


> holy molly , that can explain your diatoms and growth problems!
> 
> That is very very high, it's considered 'average good' with 100-150ppm in the tank.
> 
> ...


This is really not  a fair statement.
Almost all plants really dont care about tds, a large majority of fish don't either and caradina shrimp are just fine.
Every tank at Aquarium gardens is tap water just up the road from me that is 330ppm, gh20. All of George farmers are also the same, also up the road... think you would struggle to say hard water is an issue in any of their tanks?

Using RO can make growing some plants easier and it's fair to say algae can be more of a pain in hard water but it can be done just as well, no question. 
Likewise there are issues with Ro water that can make it harder especially the ability to hold co2.

Yes above 500 would suggest hard water top ups which should always be RO to stop TDS creep.  A relatively stable tds is fairly important... 



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## Tim Harrison (14 Mar 2019)

Folk are often too quick to attribute cause and effect where there isn't any...

Algae issues are usually caused by other factors such as organic build up often due to poor maintenance lack of water changes dirty filter etc, light intensity that is too high and/or a photoperiod that is too long, unstable or inadequate CO2 implementation flow and distribution, and inadequate fertz regimen.

I've lived in areas where the water quality is categorised as hard (200-300 CaCO3 mg/l), including Nottingham, and have had no problem whatsoever growing healthy aquatic plants free of algae..
Like Iain mentions, AG's water is categorised as very hard (>300 CaCO3 mg/l). You just need to take a look at the scapes in their showroom to realise water hardness doesn't really matter to plants, fish, shrimp or algae.


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## Jayefc1 (15 Mar 2019)

+1 What lian says I would imagine 80%of people in the UK use tap water and still manage to grow beautiful tanks and control alge


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## Raquascape (15 Mar 2019)

Thanks for all your input guys.

I'm aware Aquarium Gardens, George Farmer and all the rest of us aquascapers have success using purely tap water. I will still give RO a go, it's a learning process after all!

The RO unit will be good piece of equipment to have where I can gain better understanding water parameters and how they effect certain types of fauna and flora. 

I'll start with a top up tonight with RO and slowly introduce more RO water in water changes so as not to shock the inhabitants and plants. 

Ill keep you guys updated, it may help my situation it may not but it's worth a try! 

Georges famous words; 'Keep on scaping'.

Cheers,
Ra


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## CooKieS (15 Mar 2019)

Well, sorry for my ignorance


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## Jayefc1 (15 Mar 2019)

Using the ro you will.never really understand what your issue was before it lf it even changes the issue or corrects it not much of a learning curve


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## Raquascape (15 Mar 2019)

It's all a learning curve! 

First aquascape so I’m trying out different things. 

Now can we have some positivity please. 

Thanks,
Ra


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## Iain Sutherland (16 Mar 2019)

Raquascape said:


> Thanks for all your input guys.
> 
> I'm aware Aquarium Gardens, George Farmer and all the rest of us aquascapers have success using purely tap water. I will still give RO a go, it's a learning process after all!
> 
> ...


 If nothing else the RO unit you have purchased will be beneficial for top ups and help maintain a steady tds.

I hope you didn't feel I was being negative, just wanted to add to what was being discussed and offering an alternative opinion.

There is certainly no harm in using Ro cut water or remineralised, in fairness when my big tanks were co2 driven I also remineralised RO simply because I hated the calcium lines around the tank after evaporation.  
I point was really to say that any issues you suffer are likely due to co2, light or ferts and in that order... when folks chase water params, ph, tds, temp etc it generally a far longer process to a solution but people do this as it can be measured and feel they understand it better and can place blame. The successful use of co2, light and ferts is often a game of experience and instinct from that experience..  your tank looks great anyway and would guess you'll soon sort any minor issues you have have.

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## Raquascape (17 Mar 2019)

Iain Sutherland said:


> If nothing else the RO unit you have purchased will be beneficial for top ups and help maintain a steady tds.
> 
> I hope you didn't feel I was being negative, just wanted to add to what was being discussed and offering an alternative opinion.
> 
> ...



Hi Iain,

Thankyou for the kind comments, it's great to know that you didn't mean to be negative, I just felt the comments from yourself and others were an attack on my inexperience haha! Don't get me wrong though, I appreciate criticism as it helps us aquscapers realise what is going wrong and how to correct it. The comments made before have indeed helped my understanding though, like you say, using RO will help me achieve a steady TDS.

I think I've got the light, CO2 and ferts just about right. Growth seems to be increasing and the plants look generally healthier with less algae  One day that instinct will be natural and I'll know what the roots cause the problem is. I aspire to be as successful as yourself and others at creating wonderful aqauscapes. 

The tank is looking better day by day thanks to all your guys input and help. 

As always the input from you guys is always appreciated. Here's a before and after, just after planting and a FTS taken today. 9 weeks progress.






TDS is currently reading 350ppm after a 50% water change with 50/50 RO/tap. Aiming for around 150ppm after a couple weeks worth of water changes and we'll see how the tank reacts 

P.S any tips for trimming Lilaeopsis? When to trim? How far down the leaf to trim? Thanks!

Cheers guys!
Ra






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## Raquascape (17 Mar 2019)




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## Raquascape (23 Mar 2019)

FTS Update!


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## Raquascape (5 Apr 2019)

Experimenting with a dark grey background, what do you guys think?







Cheers,
Ra


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## Raquascape (9 Apr 2019)

FTS update


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## Raquascape (9 Apr 2019)

P.S quick comparison, top picture taken 08/03/18, the bottom was taken today a month later 09/04/18.


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## Jayefc1 (10 Apr 2019)

Looks nice growing in well


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## Raquascape (24 Apr 2019)

Updated FTS! 

Lots of trimming has been done. Hygrophila Pinniftida growing well. Started dosing Seachem Iron a few weeks back. New growth looks better! Still keeping on top of 50/50 RO/Tap water changes. 

Now the tank has matured I need to start experimenting and solve the aquascapers dream to achieve super healthy plant growth. I have thoughts of increasing the light co2 and ferts but I'm worried about too much algae. As the tank stands at the moment there is still the odd bit of hair algae and staghorn but no way near as much as a month ago. Things have definitely improved.. Hmm lots to think about! 

Cheers guys,
Raquascape


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## Raquascape (13 May 2019)

The scape went through a period of neglect recently, been doing lots of overtime at work. Had to deal with a staghorn algae problem due to fluctuating CO2 levels. After a big trim of all the algae ridden plants and maintenance yesterday here's how she looks!


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## TBRO (13 May 2019)

Looking really nice. Can’t see any algae from here! Do you do anything to keep the rocks clean? T 


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## Raquascape (13 May 2019)

TBRO said:


> Looking really nice. Can’t see any algae from here! Do you do anything to keep the rocks clean? T



Welcome T,

There is some algae, I suppose I'm just picky haha! I don't clean the rocks at all, the otocinclus I have in there do a great job at keeping them clean  

Raquascape


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## obsessed (13 May 2019)

The hole in the bottom middle will look fantastic when its grown in and give the viewer a real aspect of depth and leave them wondering what's in there and where does it go. Brilliantly done or I might have given you an idea . 
Somthing like a stu worrall composition is what I mean, have a look I did not want to link as hes on here and may not appreciate.
Anyway carry on what your doing as it's working out well.


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## Raquascape (13 May 2019)

obsessed said:


> The hole in the bottom middle will look fantastic when its grown in and give the viewer a real aspect of depth and leave them wondering what's in there and where does it go. Brilliantly done or I might have given you an idea .
> Somthing like a stu worrall composition is what I mean, have a look I did not want to link as hes on here and may not appreciate.
> Anyway carry on what your doing as it's working out well.



Cheers!

The valley in the middle was planned! It does create a nice sense of depth, probably my most favourite part of the scape  Its great to watch the rummys swim out from there when they know I'm near by, begging for food haha! 

I've seen Stu's work, unreal. I can only dream to achieve scapes like his! I know what you mean though, he has one scape where a Manzanita branch bridge goes over a path, looks ace. 

I'll keep on top of it. Slacked recently! I want more red in the tank but I have no idea what plant to use or where hmm! 

Ra


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## obsessed (13 May 2019)

The wood bridge scape of stu.w was the 1 I had in mind.
Im new in the hobby in comparison to many on here but I think you will find a spot for the splash of colour your after in good time as your plant placement is good.


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## Raquascape (21 May 2019)

Quick time lapse video for you all! I'll be adding some red plants soon, and some cardinals or neons to add some more colour to the tank. Unfortunately all of my zebra danios ended up jumping. I won't be housing them again in an open top aquarium that's for sure. Rummies and Shrimps are doing very well! They have all learnt where to be fed from, it's a joy seeing them all rush to the front glass when I enter the room. 



Cheers!
Ra


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## CooKieS (22 May 2019)

Those rummynose seems very shy, maybe an bigger tank would help? Or some ditter fishes like rasbora kubotai, some hyphessobricon sp etc..?

Thanks for the clip.


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## Raquascape (22 May 2019)

I'll see what I can do


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## Raquascape (5 Aug 2019)

And we're back! 

2 and a half months have passed since my last update and boy has the tank been through some rough patches. 

12/05/19




22/06/19



08/07/19



29/07/19



04/08/19




The tank went through a stage of a bad algae problems (22/06/19) down to lack of maintence and CO2 running out. I have sinced moved house and had to trim back all the plants and remove as much algae as possible (08/07/19). After a few days of settling at the new house the tank looked as it does in (29/07/19), the rummies were re housed to one of my friends 200L community aquarium, they are much happier there. I since changed my fert dosing regime and finally achieved a good balance between CO2 light and ferts (a painful process but great to know I'm getting somewhere!). The scape has stayed the same but new plants have been added, more ferns, rotalas, hygrophilia, MC, Mini hairgrass, Buce green etc. The tank has now got Neon Tetras, they add some more colour to the tank and happily swim around, not as shy and unhappy as the rummies were. I shall post regular updates from now on with the progress. I feel like I'm getting the hang of all this now, a great feeling. 

Cheers Guys,
Ra


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## Jayefc1 (5 Aug 2019)

Good to have you back maybe tank looks healthy now it's all learning curves 
Cheers 
Jay


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## Raquascape (5 Aug 2019)

Jayefc1 said:


> Good to have you back maybe tank looks healthy now it's all learning curves
> Cheers
> Jay



Cheers mate glad to be back!


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## Raquascape (7 Aug 2019)

4 days seeing growth already which is great, very little algae! I have moved the skimmer to the right hand side. Looks to give a better flow all around the tank. Trimming the stems tomorrow so they grow the same time as the h'ra, the 1-2 pots are growing pretty well, around 1.5" of new growth I'd say. When it comes to trimming the stems of the Hygrophila Polysperma, Rotala rotundafolia and Limnophila hippuridoides, any tips on how I go about this to achieve dense growth would be much appreciated. More updates to come in the future, cheers Ra.

P.S Black background or frosted? I'm undecided lol!


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## alto (8 Aug 2019)

Nicely done 

It’s difficult to regain enthusiasm for a scape after it slips into the Algae Realm 

The shop that sold you the Rummy’s should have warned they’re unsuited to a 60cm tank - it’s nice to see the neons doing so well

I prefer the frosted BG in this scape, assuming both photos are done with same lens, distance perception is enhanced with light background


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## Raquascape (8 Aug 2019)

alto said:


> Nicely done
> 
> It’s difficult to regain enthusiasm for a scape after it slips into the Algae Realm
> 
> ...



The rummies where bought from Maidenhead aquatics, to be honest I've never been asked my tank size etc when purchasing livestock which is surprising. 

I agree, the colours stand out with black but the depth is much better when frosted.

Cheers,
Ra

Any tips on trimming stems? I'll be doing this tonight


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## Raquascape (8 Aug 2019)

Stems trimmed


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## alto (8 Aug 2019)

It’s always worth checking Tropica’s website (go into all the drop down menus for various plant, fertilizers, substrate, etc information), on their YouTube channel they offer a 
Plant Handling Playlist 

This video from Juries mit JS is more about longterm stem maintenance 


A Green Aqua trimming video - this method always leaves the tank looking fantastic 



Wherever you trim plants, 2 new shoots will generate quite quickly IF plant is healthy and there are sufficient light and nutrients etc (so in a nonCO2 aquarium this regrowth can be much slower and always replanting the tops (all or some) is more effective) - obviously “fast” growing plants will fill back in much more quickly than “slow” growing plant
(again Tropica website includes this sort of information on their plants)

Choose the first cut quite low, you want progressive cuts to be higher so that plant “bushes”
If there is sufficient hardscape etc, then choose your first cuts so it is hidden behind 
Replanting tops into the same area will obviously help fill in plants quicker BUT depending on your light (and flow), doing this can impede new shoot development (it won’t prevent it but new shoots may be weak or have long internode distance as they “leap” toward the light)
Obviously plants that are established with good root systems and thicker stems, will rebound much more quickly and robustly, hence the (often) recommendation to begin trimming after a few weeks, allowing significant growth first

Eventually as the upper plant becomes very full, minimal light and leaf age, will lead to basically bare stems at the base of most (stem) plants - at this point, trim as shown in the videos and replant 
You can dig out some of the old roots etc (running syphon to remove the debris cloud - also add 5-10X Prime to bind any ammonia (& nitrites) released) - my preference 

Sorry for the late reply, different time zones means you’ve likely already finished your plant adventure


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## alto (8 Aug 2019)

Looks good


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## Raquascape (10 Aug 2019)




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## Raquascape (12 Aug 2019)

Updated FTS. WC tomorrow 

Thanks for the tips on trimming, that was a good watch and read up. 

Cheers,
Ra


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## Raquascape (13 Aug 2019)

WC done but my MC is suffering again unfortunately. Never been able to grow it well in this scape, it's  probably down to not having enough light. I'd rather have less algae haha! Everything else is growing well, I'm doing so much more maintence now than before, WC every 3-4 days compared to previously only WC'ing once a week. Keeping on top of preventive maintenance to prevent algae etc. Might switch out the MC for something else, what do you guys think? 





Cheers,
Ra


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## Raquascape (15 Aug 2019)

Removed the MC and replaced with Crypt Parva, the dying MC would have caused alage issues so had to go. Added another fern to the left too which I think helps to breakup the largest piece of wood. Here's a before and after for you guys.





Cheers,
Ra


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## CooKieS (16 Aug 2019)

Hi there,

I don't understand why you dont get good growth in.your setup, especially with mc which is an weed...that could be an sévère deficiency in N or P

Whats your actual routine ? Ferts? Lightning ? CO2?

Would like to help mate


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## Raquascape (16 Aug 2019)

CooKieS said:


> Hi there,
> 
> I don't understand why you dont get good growth in.your setup, especially with mc which is an weed...that could be an sévère deficiency in N or P
> 
> ...



Thankyou. 

I dose tropica specialised 3 pumps a day and premium 2 pumps a day, along with 2ml TNC carbon. My lights are on 75% power (twinstar 600ea) and co2 24/7 always lime green.

Look forward to hearing from you,
Ra


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## Raquascape (17 Aug 2019)

Each pump is 2ml, I double checked by using a syringe. So that makes for 6ml Specialised and 4ml Premium along with 2ml TNC carbon everyday. I saw someone using both fertilisers together with great success so I thought I would try it


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## CooKieS (17 Aug 2019)

Raquascape said:


> Thankyou.
> 
> I dose tropica specialised 3 pumps a day and premium 2 pumps a day, along with 2ml TNC carbon. My lights are on 75% power (twinstar 600ea) and co2 24/7 always lime green.
> 
> ...



Lights and CO2 seems ok.

Liquid carbon too.

Tropica ferts are very lean dosed, I would suggest stop using both of them, using only specialised at very High dosage or trying.something more easy to dose (like.aquarebell npk or seachem ) to get better growth and algae control .


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## Raquascape (18 Aug 2019)

CooKieS said:


> Lights and CO2 seems ok.
> 
> Liquid carbon too.
> 
> Tropica ferts are very lean dosed, I would suggest stop using both of them, using only specialised at very High dosage or trying.something more easy to dose (like.aquarebell npk or seachem ) to get better growth and algae control .



I shall start dosing specialised only, bit higher dosage see how it goes, thankyou  

Ra


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## Raquascape (23 Aug 2019)

One week of growth.






Eleocharis is struggling like the MC, might swap this out and have a full foreground of Parva?

I've since started dosing Tropica Premium only, plants are responding well. (8ml a day). After watching a recent green aqua video I'm now trying to aim for a constant 120TDS by using RO water remineralised with around 25% tap water, I didn't keep up with this last time so this will be another learning curve to see how the tank responds  

Cheers,
Ra


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## Raquascape (25 Aug 2019)

The hot temperatures in the UK right now means my tank is around 27°C, not sure how to cool it down, anyone else got this issue at the moment? 

My Buce has melted and algae is having a party. Woohoo. 

Cheers,
Ra


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## Edvet (26 Aug 2019)

Fan across the surface : evaporative heatloss
Freeze tankwater and drop in the ice cubes


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## DeepMetropolis (26 Aug 2019)

My tank water gets hotter sometimes if it's really hot outside but I don't have an problem of buces melting or more algae.. Only fish that want to spawn. There are special fans available that you can hang on the rim of your tank..


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## CooKieS (26 Aug 2019)

DeepMetropolis said:


> My tank water gets hotter sometimes if it's really hot outside but I don't have an problem of buces melting or more algae.. Only fish that want to spawn. There are special fans available that you can hang on the rim of your tank..



Me neither, only gets yellowing mosses when over 30 degrees...should be another cause


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## tam (26 Aug 2019)

Not sure if it's just me, but looks to me like your plants have quite big gaps between leaf nodes like they are struggling a bit for light?


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## DeepMetropolis (26 Aug 2019)

Other plants are struggling too I read..  How is you co2 on bottom level I see that up high its green. You can put your dropchecker low.. I use multiple checkers to watch my co2 on diffrent regions when I set it. If all is the same I just keep one in the tank for reference..


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## Raquascape (1 Sep 2019)

1 month of progress


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## Raquascape (17 Sep 2019)




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## CooKieS (17 Sep 2019)

Nice Mate.

It seems that you have not enough co2 level on the bottom to grow.carpeting.plants...and surface agitation looks very heavy.

You could try this:
Lily pipe as outflow to avoid degasing too much co2
Inline CO2 diffuser (qanvee or CO2 art).for.better dissolution

Anyway, stems and mosses looks great


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## Raquascape (17 Sep 2019)

CooKieS said:


> Nice Mate.
> 
> It seems that you have not enough co2 level on the bottom to grow.carpeting.plants...and surface agitation looks very heavy.
> 
> ...



Thanks cookies always great to hear from you mate 

I will try to direct the flow from the skimmer more toward the bottom for better CO2 distribution. My lily pipe broke about a month ago haha, my heart sunk. I will buy another soon! 

Plants are doing OK, I have a staghorn algae issue though, I will lower the light see what happens? 

Cheers,
Ra


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## Raquascape (28 Oct 2019)

Another update!

I discovered that using maybe 2ml a week of specialised fertiliser and dosing liquid carbon into the water column has gotten rid of all the algae apart from BBA. My light is dimmed to 60% also. The wood used in the scape was shop brought out an existing tank so may have had some BBA spores lying about which doesnt help! Quite frankly the BBA isn't too much of an eye sore, it's gives the tank a more natural feel I suppose. I'm also using tap water again, RO water is time consuming and the tank seems to benefit more when just using tap water! 

Hope you guys are all okay,

Cheers Ra


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## Raquascape (30 Oct 2019)




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## Raquascape (30 Oct 2019)

60 Days


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## Janci (14 Nov 2019)

Raquascape said:


> Another update!
> 
> I discovered that using maybe 2ml a week of specialised fertiliser and dosing liquid carbon into the water column has gotten rid of all the algae apart from BBA. My light is dimmed to 60% also. The wood used in the scape was shop brought out an existing tank so may have had some BBA spores lying about which doesnt help! Quite frankly the BBA isn't too much of an eye sore, it's gives the tank a more natural feel I suppose. I'm also using tap water again, RO water is time consuming and the tank seems to benefit more when just using tap water!
> 
> ...



I just went through the whole thread. Very nice tank, scape and set up!
It is good to see that you lowered your Tropica fert dosing. I was wondering during reading that you were dosing so much.
With your 2ml per week, you might be a little low. The recommended dose for 50L is about 5-6ml.

I am glad to see that your algae problem is solved.
The tank looks great.


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## Raquascape (25 Nov 2019)

Janci said:


> I just went through the whole thread. Very nice tank, scape and set up!
> It is good to see that you lowered your Tropica fert dosing. I was wondering during reading that you were dosing so much.
> With your 2ml per week, you might be a little low. The recommended dose for 50L is about 5-6ml.
> 
> ...



Thanks matey, it means a lot! 

I since tried the recommended dosage of 6ml every week so I dose that during a WC and never looked back haha.

Yeah just lots of BBA like I’ve mentioned, definitely from the wood, I think it needs chucking in the bin. I'm think of starting a new rock only scape soon. Iwagumi or something  

Here's the tank as it stands today.



And an 11 month comparison photo  How time flies.





Ra



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Raquascape (2 Feb 2020)

The tank has changed. Only slightly  









Hope all is well with you guys, sorry for the lack of updates!

Follow my instagram - raquascape (I post lots of updates there!) 

Ra


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## Raquascape (3 Feb 2020)

Wood added, re scaped the Seriyu stone, more plants to come soon. Btw did I mention I'm no longer running CO2?

Easy life, easy maintenance. 

Ra


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## Raquascape (11 Feb 2020)

More Java Ferns, Anubias and Java Moss added on the rocks!

Used Juris method of superglue and chopping the moss into tiny pieces, a great way to fix the moss and hopefully provides some nice bushy growth. 

Ra


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## oscar (11 Feb 2020)

Very nice , luv the stone work.
Are you going to add sand/gravel, make it more defined as a island scape?! 
Just curious as I’m at the moment contemplating using sand for my foreground rather than sand/gravel..

Oscar.


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## Raquascape (11 Feb 2020)

oscar said:


> Very nice , luv the stone work.
> Are you going to add sand/gravel, make it more defined as a island scape?!
> Just curious as I’m at the moment contemplating using sand for my foreground rather than sand/gravel..
> 
> Oscar.



Thankyou.

Im in two minds whether to add sand. I might try it one day, can easily siphon it out if it doesn't look right  

Ra


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## Tankless (11 Feb 2020)

Do you have a background on the tank? There's a mirror like effect within the images.


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## Raquascape (11 Feb 2020)

Tankless said:


> Do you have a background on the tank? There's a mirror like effect within the images.



No background 

The way the water and the light works make it seem there is a mirror effect. For example, the bottom of the tank looks like a mirror however when viewed from the top, you can see the brown paper mat on the bottom of the glass and there is no mirror effect. Raise your hand if you love physics?!





 

Ra


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Raquascape (3 Mar 2020)

Update 03/03/20

Ra


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## alto (3 Mar 2020)

The fish thank you 

I love the bare glass effect for dramatic viewing, but fish rather like substrate and a dim background


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## Raquascape (11 Apr 2020)

Update 11/04/20! Looking more mature.





I started dosing TNC complete and carbon 1ml a day, plants have really responded well and the small amount of algae has disappeared. 

P.s Hello lily pipe! She’s back. No more black plastic pipes. Ew. 

Stay safe,
Ra


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## CooKieS (11 Apr 2020)

I’ve always loved those agressive hyphessobrycon eques.


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## Raquascape (11 Apr 2020)

CooKieS said:


> I’ve always loved those agressive hyphessobrycon eques.



I’ve found they are aggressive, but only to themselves, they don’t bother my other fish! Nice to hear from you cookies, hope you’re doing well, I love your recent scape! 

Ra


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## Raquascape (16 Apr 2020)

I might add some aqua soil to the back of the tank and introduce some stems, is this a good idea or should I keep it as it is? 

Stay safe, Cheers,

Ra


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## Raquascape (14 Jul 2020)

Hydrocotyle Tripartita added thanks to howanic. Helps break up the textures!  

Before and after



Cheers,
Ra 


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## Nick72 (15 Jul 2020)

I really like the new Island Scape @Raquascape  - and the sand does help pull it together.


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## Raquascape (17 Jul 2020)

Nick72 said:


> I really like the new Island Scape @Raquascape - and the sand does help pull it together.



Thanks! I agree 

Ra


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