Aquascaper 600 “ happy I think..maybe not”

[oscar]

Hi Guys,
After much deliberation I finally decided on this tank/cabinet set up. Below is an idea of hardware/ plan going forward:

Aquascaper 600/ ultra gloss copper cabinet.
Twin star EA lighting ( aquarium gardens)
Elephant skin stone
Lily pipes (aquarium gardens)
Fluval 306 external filter
Tropical aquarium soil
Juniper wood(aquarium gardens)

Not sure on which sand for front , I was toying with the idea of JBL riversand/ might be a bit on the white side?!?

Will be planting dry, but not for a few weeks as still not decided on plant list.
Any ideas??

Let me know what you think??

 

[soggybongo]

looks good mate, post a few pics further away and from different angles

 

[TBRO]

Looks nice, love the wood!

I like this stuff, not crazy white

https://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/hugo-kamishi-natural-fine-gravel-5kg-1851-p.asp




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[oscar]

looks good mate, post a few pics further away and from different angles

Hopefully another couple photos attached. I found another piece of elephant skin stone in garage, placed opposite side of tank from lily pipes above original piece. Still not sure on front gravel substrate , unipac Maui quartz looks nice ?!?! Anyway there is a few small stones just scattered at front, they will get strategically placed once I make mind up on front substrate 🙁

 

[oscar]

Finally got round to aqquireing plants, beforehand I couldn’t resist doing a bit more hardscaping - rearranging 🙂

Plants include:
Hygrophila siamensis 53b ( background)
Lilaeopsis braselinisi
Staurogyne reopens
Bacopa compact
Annubias bonsai

I’ve used the foreground plants unconventionally, just dotted about/ hopefully will look more natural once established.

I’m dosing daily both Evolution Aqua all in one plant food along with easy carb.

I’m thinking( ii have the twin star led, EA model. To have the light around 40%?!? For the first few weeks/ water changed perhaps 2 weekly 30/40% ?!?
Any thoughts advice would be greatly appreciated as perhaps I’m dreaming but want to try avoid algae. Well I can dream 🙂

 

[Siege]

Hi Oscar,

Tank looking nice.

A couple of suggestions. I’d remove the flat stone on the right. it looks different to the others and stands out.

I assume the large central rock in the back is holding down the wood. You could swap it for the flat one and bury it in the soil if you like (preferably under the wood with the wood glued to it). Look at Jbl pro haru glue or any reef glue.

I know I’m a little late with my ingenious suggestions.......!

Scape really coming on though and looks really well maintained.

ps. Love the juniper wood. I think you bought from the first lot we had. Just had another box in, probably the last this year. So it kinda makes your tank super cool that only a few other perople have the same wood.

 

[Siege]

Ps. You could start the light at 60% and gradually turn it up. That’s what I normally do.

 

[oscar]

Hi Oscar,

Tank looking nice.

A couple of suggestions. I’d remove the flat stone on the right. it looks different to the others and stands out.

I assume the large central rock in the back is holding down the wood. You could swap it for the flat one and bury it in the soil if you like (preferably under the wood with the wood glued to it). Look at Jbl pro haru glue or any reef glue.

I know I’m a little late with my ingenious suggestions.......!

Scape really coming on though and looks really well maintained.

ps. Love the juniper wood. I think you bought from the first lot we had. Just had another box in, probably the last this year. So it kinda makes your tank super cool that only a few other perople have the same wood.

Scape only been going for a couple of weeks, planted today. Yep that piece of elephant skin stone is holding down the juniper wood, it is the largest most detailed piece/ wouldn’t fit in that corner you suggest. I might have some smaller stones left, of which I might be able to add to the flat one-I’ll have a look
Yep I purchased most of the hardware from A/G, they were most helpful.

On the light intensity, okay I’ll give it a try/ thanks on this.I purchased the adapter for light intensity, but now I see that you can actually buy one of which can ramp up/ all in one.
THINK I’ll be getting one of those next..

😉

 

[oscar]

Okay tank/scape been going for around two weeks/been adding fish food every couple of days to aid cycle.
I previously moved around juniper wood, but sticking with what I have now/ I’m always thinking what if I - ?!?
Bit nervous now as is my first foray into a proper planted tank. I’m dosing easy carb/ ferts daily, also 20/30% water change every couple of days. As for lights - I previously asked for comments/ advice- thanks Siege , I have them sitting around 50 %.....
Here is a couple of pics 🙂 thoughts appreciated, not sure on fish to purchase, any thoughts!!? Something a bit different perhaps?!? I was thinking just a simple shoal of neon tetras/ and a couple of shrimp- boring?!?

Thanks guys

 

[Siege]

Don’t worry about the fish food. You’ll be waiting an age for it to convert to ammonia.

Better off getting the plants established, they’ll do most of the bio filtration initially.

Bigger water changes would be good, ideally 70-80 will benefit you greatly.

 

[oscar]

Hi again guys,
I’m not getting much movement of carpet plants/ debris settling under lily pipe (return to tank one ) see from last pics/ left side of tank.

I do have a koralli hydro 1600 knocking about, I’m thinking of placing it at opposite side at the back, in direction where flow seems negative.

To much circulation for tank?!? I have the fluval 306, which gives me just over 1100 litres per/hour. So is more than the 10 times turn over whi h most of you recommend ( tank is 100 litres.

On my plants, all seem OKAY at the moment, new growth on hygrophila and sta/re- opens. Crypto looks like dying back a bit, but from what I’ve learnt from this forum most seem to melt/ take time to establish to new location.

Let me know your thoughts on circulation.

😉

 

[Keith GH]

Oscar

This is one Aquascape once its fully established it should look fantastic. The reason for say that everything blends in making it look very natural.
The Substrate is perfect for the rocks you used, again it blends in perfectly.

Keith

 

[oscar]

Oscar

This is one Aquascape once its fully established it should look fantastic. The reason for say that everything blends in making it look very natural.
The Substrate is perfect for the rocks you used, again it blends in perfectly.

Keith

Cheers Keith
As said I’m a bit apprehensive towards the plants as first foray into a proper planted tank.
I’ve read lots /gain knowledge from this forum, have ‘I think’ got the correct hardware etc- so fingers crossed... 🙂

 

[Keith GH]

Oscar

I was thinking just a simple shoal of neon tetras/ and a couple of shrimp- boring?!?

110% totally wrong I would prefer the far more colourful Green neon Tetra, a very strong red Shrimp, may be a few Ottos and if you can get them a few colourful Khuli loaches. With that mix you should have a very colourful and clean tank. One concern is you will have to have a pre filter sponge over the filter inlet.

Keith

 

[oscar]

Keith on fitting a pre filter sponge, what is the thinking behind it ?!? Only to have another barrier ?? Thanks on the stocking options, my local dobbies/ Maidenhead aquatics does have a good range so will be finally adding some stock soon....

😉

 

[Keith GH]

oscar

The reason for the prefilter is the Khuli loaches or smaller fish will swim or be sucked up the inlet very easily.

Keith

 

[oscar]

Okay guys i did a API water test. A quick break down below 🙂:
All good with Ammonia/Nitrite and Ph - from the NITRATE, reads between 40/80 parts.
I do x 1 weekly water dump around 40 percent, and also i would say top up with around 5 liters of water every other day ( evaporation) - 100 litre tank.
I have x 3 ottos of which i put in the other day, but NO other live stock yet / been running the tank for around 3 weeks with the tank being planted from the beginning.

Is there a chance that dosing daily with ferts can increase NITRATE levels?? I dose with aquascaper evolution all in one plant food ( using, recommended dosage). Reason i say this is that i did see somewhere that ferts can increase the level?!?!?
I also dose with liquid carb daily, on again recommended dosage.

I did a 30 percent water dump last night, and will check levels again tonight.

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

😉

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Is there a chance that dosing daily with ferts can increase NITRATE levels??

Yes it will, if you are adding more NO3 than the plants are using.

Although plants need more nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) than any of the other seventeen essential plant nutrients, they need all of <"them for plant growth">.

from the NITRATE, reads between 40/80 parts.

If you have some DI water dilute your tank water 50:50 with the DI water and do the test again, if it is still a high reading dilute that sample 50:50 with DI water (that will give you 3/4 DI and 1/4 tank water). If you still get a high reading it is likely to be problems with the test kit. If the NO3 values reduce markedly in the diluted samples then you are probably about right.

I'm not a great fan of NO3 test kits, there is an explanation of why in <"Measurement of nitrate......">.

I did a 30 percent water dump last night, and will check levels again tonight.

You can get figures from your water company for the NO3 content of your tap water, but it]f you live in the S. or E.of the UK you could easily have 30ppm NO3 in your tap water (EU limit for tap water is 50 ppm NO3).

cheers Darrel

 

[oscar]

Hi all,Yes it will, if you are adding more NO3 than the plants are using.

Although plants need more nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) than any of the other seventeen essential plant nutrients, they need all of <"them for plant growth">.If you have some DI water dilute your tank water 50:50 with the DI water and do the test again, if it is still a high reading dilute that sample 50:50 with DI water (that will give you 3/4 DI and 1/4 tank water). If you still get a high reading it is likely to be problems with the test kit. If the NO3 values reduce markedly in the diluted samples then you are probably about right.

I'm not a great fan of NO3 test kits, there is an explanation of why in <"Measurement of nitrate......">.You can get figures from your water company for the NO3 content of your tap water, but it]f you live in the S. or E.of the UK you could easily have 30ppm NO3 in your tap water (EU limit for tap water is 50 ppm NO3).

cheers Darrel

Thanks for the advice
I’ve just checked tap water and it’s zero for nitrate from test kit/ east coast of Scotland thumbs up. Now I’ve done another test of tank, basically was same as yesterday 40/80 parts. I have just completed a 40 percent water change and now aquarium is sitting at 20/40 parts (is now visibly orange in colour).🙂
I think that is it for water changes today, I’m not going to dose the ferts or L/carbon tonight.
As for the ferts it states:
Low tech tank with no co2/ low lights- 1ml per 50 litres. Medium tech tank with liquid co2/ medium lights - 2ml per 50 litres. High tech tank with co2 ( pumped in) and high lights- 3 ml per 50 litres.

I have been dosing as a medium tank.
For the reason being I have plants, and have the twin star lighting(dimmed to around 60 percent of capacity) I also dose with liquid carbon.
So going forward I’m thinking, dose ferts/and l/carbon ONLY every other day?!?Ir perhaps only dose half the recommended dose BUT continue daily doses.??
Any ideas on this guys???

🙂

 

[14548]

Hi,

I dose 3ml liquid carbon daily in my 60p, if this can help.

Nice hardscape