'The Full Monty' Has Left The Building last photos

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Monster hunting?

Killer Mice. <"St. Kilda update.....">.

cheers Darrel

 

[REDSTEVEO]

Almost certainly springtails Steve (Collembola spp.). They're just about the most numerous and widespread order of animals on earth (more so than insects), yet hardly anyone has ever heard of them. You get long termite-looking ones and little round blob-shaped ones. Harmless fish food

Here's a photo I took of one of the larger termite-looking ones under a scanning electron microscope with it's 'spring' (furcata) extended. They use these to bounce out of danger when disturbed -

And one of the blob shaped ones (photo from Wiki commons) -

Cheers Tom, your photography is stunning, what the "furcata" is that! It is giving me nightmares to think I was touching these with my hands.

PS Shame about the hat!

 

[REDSTEVEO]

'The Full Monty' One Year On!

Well folks it's surprising how time flies! It has been almost a year since I bought the Eheim Incpiria 400 litre aquarium from the Abyss Aquatic Warehouse and started my journal 'The Full Monty'. In that time I have become a grandad and the little fellah is 1 year old this month, honestly where does the time go?

After doing a massive water change and some serious pruning yesterday I decided I would show some before and after photographs to show the results of my handy work. After removing what looked like a bucket full of plants, mainly Echinodorus Tenellus which had more runners than the London Marathon, and trimming the stem plants, it looks a bit tidier now (I think).

After one year and fifty two weeks of 50% water changes = 10,400 litres of water, good job I am not on a water meter

I also thought it would be good to do a step by step bit to show how it has evolved over the last twelve months, so here goes.

After lots of gentle persuasion I finally managed to persuade my wife to let me knock a wall down to make room for where I wanted the new tank to go.

Then get the floor tiled where the new tank was going to sit.

Then through the subtle art of subterfuge I knocked up a simulation of how big the tank was going to be, (I hoped)

Then after lots of research I finally stumbled on this, the Eheim Incpiria 400 liter tank at the Abyss Aquatic Warehouse. All In had to do now was convince my wife this is the one I (we) should get!

This is it after arriving safely and installed in its new home complete with built in dry weir and very nice sliding smoked black lids.

This is it after I had sweated buckets trying to stick the black backing on. Still got about 2 gallons of JBL backing glue left!

This is it filled up, and the start of a six week cycling period, two weeks of which I was on holiday. Complete with ADA Substrates including Penac P, Penac W,
Powersand, Amazonia Soil and powder topped around the front with La Plata Sand.

Back off holiday and ready to start planting after a water change.

Water a lot clearer after big water change.

The first lot of plants going in.

Not much happening after a week.

Some very expensive rock used here which was completely unnecessary as eventually the plants grow in you can't see the rock anyway!

Two weeks and plants starting to spread.

Then I got the dreaded hair algae, filamentous brown diatom algea and the usual battle began to combat it. I finished up ripping out all the hair grass and the Monte Carlos and replacing it with Echinodorus Tennellus.

After experimenting with UV, O2, Co2, EI, lots of light, low light, no light to black out, massive water changes and a combination of sheer bloody determination I managed to sort out the algae problems.

The messing about with 'Flow' rates, direction and spray bars!

After several adjustments and introduction of all the fish and several new plants this is how it looked yesterday before the water change and the trim.

The Echinodrus Tennellus spreading everywhere.

Now after removing a lot of Tenellus and a trim of the stem plants, removing some dead leaves and a huge water change.

Before I did the water change I cleaned out the Eheim 650 Thermal T3 Filter and scrubbed out all the pipework. I also switched the Eheim easy connectors around so that I can remove the pipes and filter much easier. Now I have got all six green lights showing on the flow display instead of only three as before. This was mainly due to the amount of clag built up in the pipes.

Within an hour of the filters going back on and the lights on, the Blue Diamond Discus are out and the plants are beginning to pearl.

Well folks, that's just about it on the Full Monty for now, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. The next update will probably be when the Discus are showing signs of breeding behaviour!!

The only questions I have now is whether to experiment with an Arcadia Stretch LED Lighting unit and whether to start using an RO unit for my water changes in the future.

Thanks for looking,

Cheers,

Steve.

 

[greenmac75]

Steve I had the stretch, I wouldn't bother your tank looks great.

 

[Greenfinger2]

Hi Steve, Great journal enjoyed reading from start to finish

And fifty weeks later you have a Exquisite Aqauascape Fifty two weeks of 50% water changes = 10,400 litres of water Wow How it add up over time.

Good luck on the Discus breeding Hope all go's well Looking forward to the photos.

 

[Lindy]

I love the way it has grown in and looks more jungly but with fab colours too. Well done! That tank and stand is stunning

 

[Edvet]

Looking healthy!
With 20/20 hindsight: what would you have done differently??

 

[REDSTEVEO]

Steve I had the stretch, I wouldn't bother your tank looks great.

Cheers Greenmac, maybe for once I will take someone else's advice and save my money. The only thing I miss about LED's is the shimmer effect and the night time function.

Steve.

 

[REDSTEVEO]

I love the way it has grown in and looks more jungly but with fab colours too. Well done! That tank and stand is stunning

Cheers idcgroomer I like it very much also and hopefully it will produce many more aquascapes in the future!!

Steve

 

[REDSTEVEO]

Looking healthy!
With 20/20 hindsight: what would you have done differently??

Cheers Edvet,

With 20/20 hindsight what would I have done differently?? Wow where do I start!

1. Not bought expensive Mountain Rock it was not necessary, no point in having it if you can't see it!
2. Not bothered with creating the 30cm hillock, I think it takes up too much water volume and less room for the fish to swim around in.
3. Kept to a much simpler planting theme in keeping with a discus biotope.
4. Bought adult or at least almost adult discus instead of 2.5 inch discus, the theory was good based on past experience but the experience this time around was different.
5. Maybe bought one large matched pair of discus instead.
6. Bought less Rummy Nose tetras and Diamond Neons than I did.
7. Worked out a way to produce, store, heat, store and pump RO water into the tank instead of using HMA Filtered water.
8. Maybe consider using condensation trays, removing the smoked glass lids and using a hanging pendant light instead of the tubes?

I can see over a period of time the plants being reduced in this tank, the number of small shoaling fish will probably decrease and the hillock will gradually be reduced until it is no more, finishing up with what I originally intended, a simple classic looking planted Discus Tank.

Cheers,

Steve.

 

[REDSTEVEO]

Hi All,

Just a quick Easter update on 'The Full Monty'

I think the clocks going forward have had an effect on the plant growth in the tank

A few pictures taken yesterday below.

The other update is that the Easter Bunny brought me a TMC V2 Pure 100 Advanced RO System!! As ever, always wanting to get things as perfect as possible I decided to go back to RO Water. Now I just need to work out how to get the stuff into the tank without humping 30 liter containers about.

One perfectly good HMA Filter for sale - bargain!

At the moment I have got the water running straight into the tank with the water siphoning out of the tank on one side into the garden and the waste water also running into the garden. Yes the missus is away again at the moment!

Here are some pictures. Enjoy!

Stem plants fizzing away, getting a bit leggy though so wil be trimming soon.

Staurgyrene starting to look better since I added the substrate fertiliser. Still got some leaves with bit of algae on but trimming them off every time I do the water change.

Reinecki Mini really starting to do well since I added the substrate fertiliser tablets.

Blue Diamond Discus with a full belly, looking for somewhere to do a pooo..

There are six Discus in this tank, looks great when they all come out together!

Changed the photo period on my lighting recently and upped the CO2. The new style UP Inline CO2 diffuser was leaking like hell so for the time being I have gone back to two of my old glass in tank diffusers. It seems to have made a difference because even the Reinecki Mini is starting to pearl!

All plants have had some fertiliser root tabs pushed in around the base and they seem to have started utilising it pretty well now, especially the green plants.

My favourite time, Discus coming out for a nosey around!

Feeding time! Discus Essential beef heart and Californian Blackworm, they love it!

These Blue Diamonds were only two inches big when I bought them, now they are pushing towards five inches easily.

My new toy! TMC V2 Pure with built in Water Pressure gauge and built in TDS meter showing TDS reading of water going in and change when it come out. At the moment it reads TDS 128 going in and TDS 3 on the way out.

Water draining out on the left, RO water going in on the right.

Happy easter everyone,

Cheers,

Steve.

 

[parotet]

This tank looks much better Steve, amazing to see how you have sorted out all the problems!
Just one question: am I wrong or are you recycling the tank water through the RO unit? Is this common? Is it like a drop by drop WC system?... I've always used tap water and all this is quite new to me.

Jordi

 

[Sk3lly]

Gorgeous fish and beautifully healthy plants.

Great tank. Jealous!!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Edvet]

I don't think he's recycling (quite sure he's not). He's adding RO water one side and siphoning off on the other side.
One of the reasons i like an overflow in a tank is i can add RO water 24/7 without having to keep an eye out.

 

[Tim Harrison]

Great posts, fantastic images of a great tank, they took a while to load due to the pants internet around here, but well worth the wait. I especially like the hindsight post...

 

[REDSTEVEO]

This tank looks much better Steve, amazing to see how you have sorted out all the problems!
Just one question: am I wrong or are you recycling the tank water through the RO unit? Is this common? Is it like a drop by drop WC system?... I've always used tap water and all this is quite new to me.

Jordi

Hi Jordi,

No Edvet is right I am not recycling the tank water back through the RO unit. I tried it once using a pressure pump, far too much pfaffing about. I let the tank water drain into the garden on one side, and let the fresh RO water run in from the other.

The tank water has a TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) of 220 and I am trying to get that down, using the HMA Filter isn't achieving that, that's why I have gone for the RO unit. Takes a while using this method though, far better filling loads of containers with about 200 to 300 litres then drain the tank and refill with the RO water, throuble is this can be too much of a change in one go, plus getting it all to the right temperature is a pain in the bum. So little by little until the water is how it should be.

Cheers,

Steve.

 

[REDSTEVEO]

Gorgeous fish and beautifully healthy plants.

Great tank. Jealous!!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

HiSk3lly,

Thanks for the compliments, it's really appreciated. Jealousy is a good thing! It makes us strive harder to do better, work harder achieve more!

 

[REDSTEVEO]

Great posts, fantastic images of a great tank, they took a while to load due to the pants internet around here, but well worth the wait. I especially like the hindsight post...

Hindsight is wonderful, until you realise the mistakes you made, learning from them is even better

Cheers,

Steve

 

[REDSTEVEO]

Hi all,

I got bored watching the Liverpool v Newcastle match on TV so I decided to sit in front of the aquarium instead. And within a few minutes it was obvious there was more going on than on than on the TV so I got my camera out. At last I got some decent shots of the Red Curipeau Discus, in fact some shots of almost all six discus out together, which although I often see, I don't usually have the camera handy when it happens.

I hope you enjoy these few photos of the discus, I also got a shot of a long stalk from one of the plants which looks as if it is about to flower, which is nice.

I must remember next time to switch off the Twinstar Super S before taking the photographs, the white flecks and dashes are the O2 bublles flying round the tank which makes the shots look as if the water is not clean, when in fact it is crystal clear.

I am hoping this beauty is going to pair off with one of the Red Curipeau!

There has been some courtship activity going on between these lot, especially after the lights have gone out and the lamp is on in the corner of the room.

Anyone care to tell me what this is and what it might look like if it flowers?

One shot during a time when the Twinstar Super S was not active.

Thanks for the really kind comments on previous posts!

Cheers,

Steve.

 

[Rahms]

amazing pictures, and so much effort uploading them all! That's some ridiculous pearling.

I'm actually commenting in hope of starting a new page..... It's been a very long time since I had to wait for a page to load. Think its the next post that will do it...