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Tidy Jungle II, III and IV

Journey to Stability
Just a small update as I continue traversing the long road to stability.
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It's been just over 4 months since this tank was setup and things are mostly good. The lighting isn't strong so things grow relatively slowly (with the exception of Microsorum needle leaf!). It's almost like a low tech tank but with CO2 for an extra boost.
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A couple of months ago I discovered a tiny Barclaya longifolia bulb that I thought had long vanished, and so I placed it right in the front so I could keep an eye on it and see if it would grow. Grow it did! It's coming up really nicely despite the relatively low lighting and inert substrate, and it's actually maintaining colour this time. Funny how that works...
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In recent weeks I've been paying more attention to the emersed growth and expanding the plant diversity there in order to enhance the jungly effect. Now that it's getting thicker, it's easier to just tuck things in at the water line and let the roots grow down. I've been adding different plants here and there and it's really starting to look nice - the Tradescantia fluminensis especially does much better growing in water compared to soil and I'm sure this is all doing favours for water quality. My one wish is to install an auto top off on this tank because a more consistent water level would make maintaining the emersed section easier.
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The fish are all gravy too. I've not noticed any deaths in the last few months and squabbling is at a minimum. I've been thinking about adding some cherry barbs as I knew the males got nicely red but I was shocked to see just how red they can get in the LFS, and these were under basic shop lights so they will probably look like rubies under the Chihiros. If not, I had also thought about Hexazona barbs or even Pearl Gouramis, although the gouramis might irritate the population of black Neocaridina that are living in the canopy.
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Still haven't cleaned the lily pipes.
 
Absolutely gorgeous! The 'bridge' of wood is a stroke of genius, if gives the appearance of heavy jungle planting, whilst still maintaining a lot of open sand area. I love the emersed growth too, I'm going to have to have a stab at that on my new tank.

That Barclaya longifolia looks fantastic too, I'll have to look out for one of those! Have you planted your other lilies as epiphytes on the wood?
 
Absolutely gorgeous! The 'bridge' of wood is a stroke of genius, if gives the appearance of heavy jungle planting, whilst still maintaining a lot of open sand area. I love the emersed growth too, I'm going to have to have a stab at that on my new tank.

That Barclaya longifolia looks fantastic too, I'll have to look out for one of those! Have you planted your other lilies as epiphytes on the wood?
Thank you mate!

I'm really glad the ferns on the bridge have grown back because at one point I was doubtful. It looks quite homogeneous from a distance but there's actually about 4 different types of microsorum mixed in there and some bolbitis. The fish almost exclusively stay underneath it and pretty much only come out for food or when the lights are starting to dim. The sand part was also really important for me as in the last tank, whilst there was enough space, there was very very little substrate for grazing.

Definitely take a shot at the emersed growth! It creates a whole extra cool dimension to the scape and is functional too.

I got the Barclaya at Wildwoods Enfield. Every time I've been there since I've seen one so there's a good chance you could get one if it's accessible to you.

This time I planted the zenkeri and micrantha in a mesh filter bag of aquasoil and the helvola is in soil at the back.
 
I Hope Your Flowers Bloom
Only a few things have changed in the last few months and so the tank has been mostly cruising along.
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As much as I like the hardscape, it's proved difficult to work with in terms of flow, planting and trapping detritus. There are endless holes and tunnels in this wood (some I literally only discovered last week!) and so it's virtually impossible to keep it clean. This amongst other things has sparked a motion of change, so Tidy Jungle III's time may soon be up.
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In this time I've paid particular attention to the Barclaya longifolia growing in the foreground and made sure not to disturb it. It seemed to have several distinct growth phases, going from tiny bulb with tiny leaves to 4 inch leaves to 8 inch leaves and now flowering! I imagine the plant ran out of steam because the flower hasn't continued maturing.
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One of the Cryptocoryne 'Rosen Maiden' has also decided it's time to flower and the Bucephalandra continues to flower profusely, so there must be something in the air.
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We Interruptus Broadcast
I kept feeling like the scape was missing a confident and prominent fish to really bring it to life. I'd often look at the tank and think you'd never think there was anything in there! I flip flopped between a few choices; Pearl Gouramis, Cherry Barbs, Angelfish. In the end I went for something I've wrongfully dismissed for 12+ years; Phenacogrammus interruptus (Congo Tetras). For some reason I was always under the impression they were aggressive and not suitable for community tanks but I've come to learn that's not really the case at all. I wish I had known sooner because not only are they extremely confident and active, their colours are next level and mine are still juvenile!
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Eventually, I also want to add a few Phenacogrammus aurantiacus to swim alongside them and add some extra contrast. When I redo the tank I'll be rehoming most of the tetras and the female Dicrossus will become my tetras. 🙂
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(Not my photo)
 
Out Now
I'm starting to feel a bit like Adele with these Tidy Jungle iterations. Slap the next number on the end and let's go! As each turn of the page comes, there's layover from the previous scape be it hardscape, plants, fish or even the tank itself. Although each one has been completely different from the last, I can't help feeling that they are simply evolutions of the same beast. So Tidy Jungle IV begins, albeit slightly bittersweet as it may very well be the last. The tide is shifting in the UK and so I'm seeking new adventures in Canada! I have less than a year from this moment to make the move so I thought why not really have some fun with this tank because I certainly won't have a 120P when I move. 😅
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This time I'm really trying to put some of my recent enlightenments into practice - a lot of it things that I already knew but didn't understand the value or reasons why. The lightbulb has been pinging several times in the last month and so let's see how much got absorbed lol.

One of my goals for this scape was to have plenty of soil space to plant into. I like to try new plants and collect the ones I like, and there's nothing worse than when you simply run out of real estate! Another goal is to create a space where the fish are on display and not constantly hidden. Whilst I really enjoyed the 'archway' of the last scape, it meant that I hardly saw a lot of the fish and that's a shame. Don't get me wrong, I want them to feel safe and comfortable but the last scape often appeared heavily understocked even though it was the contrary. Lastly, I want it to be bold, striking, colourful and clearly expressed. I'll quite literally go back to my roots with the ol' faithful Manzanita wood and use several plant species in repetition for greater impact, something I've never really done before. I think it could be good.
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Round, Round, Play Around, I Play Around
I started tinkering with the hardscape in my plug and play dojo, using new pieces and old pieces from Tidy Jungle II. I'm liking the hardscape so far but kept flip flopping on the plant choices so I just made a final list and ordered them. In the end I think I've settled on using the majority (if not all) of my current plants with a few extra species to fill out the areas that will now have exposed soil. The lilies might get moved on but I'll see how they look first. At the end of the day, an aquascape is working in unison with nature and will evolve over time and find its balance.
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I will no doubt change my mind again but here's the current plant list:

Barclaya longifolia
Cryptocoryne spiralis 'Tiger'
Lagenandra keralensis
Nymphea zenkeri
Nymphea micrantha 'Gefleckt'
Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Compact'
Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Green'
Cryptocoryne amicorum
Microsorum 'Needle leaf'
Microsorum pteropus 'Trident'
Bolbitis 'Mini'
Bacopa caroliniana 'Colorata'
Ludwigia Marilia
Ludwigia palustris 'Super red'
Ludwigia arcuata
Limnophila hippuroides
Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea'
Cryptocoryne 'Rosen maiden'
Cryptocoryne X Purpurea
Mixed Bucephalandra
Mixed Anubias
Microsorum 'Black forest'
Microsorum 'Orange'
Microsorum pteropus 'Windelov'
Microsorum mini (unidentified)
Hydrocotyle tripartita 'Mini'
Eriocaulon 'Vietnam'
Hygrophila corymbosa 'Siamensis '53B'

It sounds like a lot, but many of the species are performing the same function with a similar look, so you should only notice the details on closer inspection. This is also a combination of plants I've accumulated over time and either haven't killed or got bored of. Everyone and everything is coming together for the final battle like the Avengers. 🌱💪🏾

Tech Spec:
Tank: EA Aquascaper 1200
Filter: Oase Biomaster 850T + Fluval 307
Lights: 2 x Week Aqua A430 Pro
CO2: CO2 Art Regulator/Inline Diffuser, 5KG Fire Extinguisher, Intaqo pH Controller
Ferts: APT Zero/Complete
Misc: Oase CrystalSkim 350
 
Overestimated
Whilst putting together the hardscape I had to make some adjustments because it always looks and fits a bit different compared to the dojo. I used one less branch and none of the finer detail twigs because I honestly don't think it needs it. If I feel to later I can always soak them and wedge them in. I also had to make height adjustments because of the lights, which I can't raise any higher.
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I did overestimate the weight of a rock I was using to keep the wood down so it did actually float up a bit which I'll have to reposition once it's saturated.
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I don't want to jinx it but setting up the Week Aqua lights was pretty easy and painless. I don't know if it's because I'm experiencing it at a later time or that I inhaled every bit of information about the lights and setup, but it's so far working fine. They are bright as hell!!! So I've turned it down to 30%.
 
Dream setup mate, you’ll enjoy the a430 pro, I had the best results under it!

Digging the scape too, minimalistic NA style with an great balance, can’t wait to see it grow !
 
Dream setup mate, you’ll enjoy the a430 pro, I had the best results under it!

Digging the scape too, minimalistic NA style with an great balance, can’t wait to see it grow !
Thanks mate! Appreciate that.

The light seems good (power wise) but not the app. 😅

Simple but bold was the aim this time. It should make it easier to maintain as well.
 
The app is actually quite basic, just missing some basic option like ‘save the settings’. I’ve found out that once you’ve setup your led, make sure to properly close the app, and then it’s working very nicely, I hadn’t have any bug (like with the Chihiros app) in one year of use. :)
 
Woe Is Me
In the last week or so, something really tricky is going on with my livestock. I'm experiencing a lot of fish deaths but there's so many variables it's hard to pin it down. I'll share what I've noticed for my own records and also some advice.

11th Feb
Fish were moved from the main tank into a holding container. It's a 60L shallow but wide tub used for container ponds. I hooked up one of the external canister filters and a heater to the tub whilst the tank was being sorted out.

17th Feb
I notice one of the cardinal tetras looking ropey, twirling around like a ballerina and eventually died. At this point I didn't really think anything of it.

18th Feb
I notice two more cardinals dead, one doing the same twirling and the other was already dead when I found it so I don't know the cause. I also found my male apistogramma dead at the bottom of the container. At this point I thought something must be wrong. I wondered if maybe this holding container was much too small and was stressing out the fish. I tested the holding container water for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate - ammonia and nitrite were 0 and nitrates were very low (less than 5).

19th Feb
Following the recent deaths I decided to move the fish over to the tank. I started to move some fish into a separate container to begin drip acclimation. As I was doing so, I noticed one of the dicrossus was ropey, doing the same twirly thing. Something said to me for whatever reason the fish are stressed in their current situation and they just need out. So as the temperature and water source was the same, I just started to net the fish out of the container and into the tank. I realise now that this could have caused major problems as with the new aquasoil, the pH is being buffered much lower than normal and was probably 1pH point lower (even lower with CO2) than they were currently experiencing and I could have initiated pH shock. Despite this, I didn't notice any further deaths or unwarranted levels of stress. I've also noticed since having the fresh aquasoil that the drop checker is always green, even when I've aerated the water overnight.

20th Feb - 21st Feb
Between these two days I've been seeing more and more fish looking ropey and/or dying. As well as the twirling I've noticed a few had what appeared to be red patches under the skin, almost like internal bleeding? Some looked completely normal but just lost colour and turned ghostly.

These are my current hypotheses:
pH Shock - I think a big change in pH could have induced the die off, and some of the symptoms match up but it doesn't explain the deaths prior to the move.
Fish TB - The cardinal tetras were a recent addition and they were the first to be affected. Possibly they had fish TB and being in such close proximity to the other fish caused it to spread much quicker? Or possibly regardless of the source, the stress of being in the holding container made them vulnerable to an already lurking disease.
Stress - Again, stress itself can be a killer and so this could be a contributor too.
All of the above - A combination of overcrowding, pH shock and disease combined?

I've noticed it's affected the tetras (except gold tetras and Congo tetras), corydoras, one apistogramma and one dicrossus. The other fish are seemingly unaffected, and in fact look in good health. I'm at a loss of what to do, and wondering if the fish that are dying now already had their cards marked from what they've been through. Not sure if there's anything I can do at this point? It's an unusual situation for me having previously hardly ever lost fish - I honestly can't remember the last time I lost a fish before this. Have I just made a series of very poor judgements?
 
It's Not Right, But It's OK...
A month has passed since the rescape and the deathly debacle. I treated the tank with Esha 2000 and I haven't had any deaths or mysterious symptoms since. I don't know whether it actually was a problem Esha could treat or conditions stabilised but I'm glad whatever it was has subsided because it was becoming quite grim.

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I think the tank is looking quite good, despite the algae that is plaguing me. From a distance, even quite a short distance, you might not see any algae but up close you can see things are slightly off-kilter. I have to admit it's been one of the rockier starts to an aquascape I've had, maybe only second to my first high energy shrimp tank. Plants seem to be taking longer than usual to settle in, growth is haphazard and instability is in the air. One thing I admittedly did was I didn't stick to the frequent initial water changes and I think that did me in. I have BBA, Diatoms, Cyanobacteria, Some unknown green patches and a little Green Spot too. I'm trying to curb it by increasing the frequency of my water changes but also I kind of don't mind that much. As George Farmer says; if it's not overwhelming the overall appearance of the aquascape it's fine and I'm inclined to agree. Also a month is next to no time in terms of planted aquarium stability!

The nerdy experimental side of me also found interest in attempting to grow Ranalisma rostrata. I ripped out a patch of the Helanthium tenellum and plopped it down. From the experiences I found on UKAPS, people seem to have a hard time with it and end up not using it at all. I was just drawn to the fact that if successful it has more ideal qualities then even Helanthium tenellum, it's rare in the hobby so would be good to spread it around and I believe it's also an endangered species. Some reports say it's even extinct in its natural habitat in Eastern China.

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I added several more Congo Tetras to beef up the shoal a bit and even managed to track down a beautiful mature Phenacogrammus aurantiacus! The colour on the aurantiacus is so striking and you spot it clearly in the group. Initially it didn't eat for a week, sometimes showing a weak feeding response and sometimes hiding at feeding time altogether but now it's ravenous and confident. He's also chunky! The second biggest fish in the tank only beaten by the Giant oto. I'd love to add maybe two more aurantiacus but at the same time I'm happy with what I've got.

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A month in and I'm still waiting on the main body of wood to fully saturate and so I've got a big piece of rock holding it down. Also I clearly didn't apply enough glue since the branches are all loose (yay!). I added some detail pieces, Amblystegium serpens and an Asparagus fern to the emersed wood. I would have loved to have adorned it with the full foliage of the previous scape but the wood is too delicate and it would ruin the impact in my opinion. You need big bulky wood for that.

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I've been having an interesting time with these Week Aqua lights which @Hanuman knows all too well. Having said that, since the updates I haven't had any issues (except not being able to turn the lights on manually, wtf). I don't have a par meter so I have no idea how much light I'm throwing at the plants, and not many people have experience with it to be able to gain reference from. Going back to the algae issues, my initial thoughts are to turn the lights down but Dave at Aquarium Gardens said recently in a demo that you shouldn't do this as it can stress the plants out further and instead push through this phase and the algae will subside. I remember a similar bit of advice from Sudipta Shaw, who suggested that if light is not a limiting factor, the plants can focus that energy on capturing nutrients and growing.

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Despite the frustrations I'm still enjoying the tank already and the fish bring it all to life! So here's a little photo dump:

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