# EA1200 Planted tank week 4



## Brian44 (8 Feb 2020)

Hi All, had a planted tank back in my early twenties when the Takashi books came out and loved it. Got to see some great tanks in some scape shops last year and decided to start a new tank. Its an EA1200 from Aquarium Gardens. Thanks to Steve for his help with kit and plants. It’s a sort of 2 island jungle and mibees a bit messy but I’m looking forward to the stems growing in at the back. Went a bit mental on the plants but that’s maybe helped as no real algae issues at all Particularly after I put in the shrimp on week 2 and the changed the filter sponges for seachem matrix. Gear is a twinstar 1200 light; 2 Biomaster thermal filters with-inline CO2 diffuser from CO2 Art. Soil is prodibio which i think the plants like but I’ve used too much. Fert is all in one TNC and liquid Carbon. All seem healthy though a few crypts have yellow spots and a few of the Buce have a few pinholes. Moss is growing well but will need to trim to get a thick layer on tree trunk. Any feedback on how to improve it would be appreciated.


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## Siege (8 Feb 2020)

Looking good brian. Mental plant growth!

you have a plant at the back, the one with little star hands. Looks like ranunculas. It’s is a foreground- midground plant. Transitional plant between carpet and hardscape/taller plants.

hard to tell from the pictures though.

you can soak the glassware in cheap thin bleach and water to help clean it and then use your long brush to clean it after.

long brush on the filter tubes. Turn the filter back on with the outlet over a bucket to collect the muck. Close the filter inlet and then reattach to to the lily pipe outlet if that makes sense!

S.

ps. You can spread the java fern and pinnatafida over both islands. Will bring the 2 islands together a bit more. 
Pinnatafida can be pruned hard to keep it small if you like.


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## Siege (8 Feb 2020)

Ps. Have you got a pic from straight on?


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## Brian44 (8 Feb 2020)

Thanks Siege, thanks for the advice. The glassware is overdue a clean but having difficulty getting the buggers off the tubing and was scared of breaking them. Have brush for glass but need bigger one for tubing. The big java fern is starting to make little plantlets so I’ll attach them to the right hand side. The moss and Pinnatafida have grown the most. Trim now or in a few weeks? I like the AR mini so going to move more of that to the left section. The plant centre back left is ranunculus. Bit of an afterthought on location as used all the Monte Carlo on the front.


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## Siege (8 Feb 2020)

Your brush is the blue hobby fish one should do tubing also. if really dirty pick up a Blau brush. 
but don’t go through the inline diffuser with the Blau one as it’ll get stuck!

To get it off the glassware push the tubing and bend at the same time. It’ll come off the glassware nicely. Just don’t pull!
 if it’s not coming off cut the tubing to get it off, tubing needs to be heated up to get on. If you don’t it’s very hard to get it off when you want!

is your co2 light green at lights on?

what are your light settings?

cheers

Steve.


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## Brian44 (8 Feb 2020)

Thanks for the advice I’ll give it a go tomorrow. CO2 is about 4bps. Indicator is never lime green though I think I need to put in new solution. When u water change do you push the glass CO2 indicator down into tank so it doesn’t come in contact with air or does that not matter? Light is now 7 hours ramping from 60-70%. Was going to increase both lights and CO2 but as all growing thought I’d leave as is for another wk. Should I increase?


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## Siege (8 Feb 2020)

Leave the drop checker where it is during water change no problem.

If you change the solution and clean the drop checker, after washing the drop checker dry it well. I usually put it in the oven at 30 -40 degrees for a bit (without the plastic sucker)!

should be a nice lime green at lights on, not after. The early part of the light period is the most important for the plants.

Turn up the co2, get that right and then turn up the light. Not the other way round. The higher the light the more demand for co2.

low co2 whilst getting adjusted to being underwater is probably why the ferns are sprouting babies, it is a sign they are stressed.

hope that helps!


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## Siege (8 Feb 2020)

Just seen your picture, yes a good carpet and moss prune is in order! 

you can cut the longer pinnatafida stems off. It’ll encourage shorter bushier growth.


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## Brian44 (8 Feb 2020)

Cool thanks for that. Have turned up the CO2. Will inc lights in a few days once dropper looking better. Cheers!


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## Mark Daniel (8 May 2020)

That’s going to look amazing in a few weeks time - nice work!


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