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Tidy Jungle

Water Change Update:

Thought I'd use my DSLR instead of my phone today to get some nice shots.

The rainbows aren't in full colouration at the moment but the colours are definitely developing well in the short time that they've been in the tank. They love swimming in the water flow during water changes.



The plants all got a good clipping, and scraped away any algae on the glass. I'm thinking that the Limnophilia is actually fully grown as its not getting any taller but the tops are slightly purple. Rotala Rotundifolia is growing taller but incredibly slow. I'm wondering if it's just not suited for this setup?

Can anybody suggest a good, dense background plant that will reach 50cm + (Not Vallisneria - I can't use this as I'm dosing Easy Carbo).

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New Shots:

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Despite what I said, I bought some vallisneria. I'm going to try and acclimatise it to liquid carbon. I'm hoping it will do better than the rotala.
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I also picked up some dwarf hairgrass and 6 otocinclus.
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The lawn is still looking vibrant.
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Full tank shot before water change tomorrow. (It's got a lot of brown algae at the moment).
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If you compare the top photo to the bottom one, I've scaled back a lot of the plants.

Rotala rotundifolia got completely removed as it wasn't growing properly at all. I moved the big beautiful chunk of Ludwigia Palustris to the back of the tank so you can actually see the Limnophila Hippuridoides. I also replanted some of the vallisneria plantlets.

I'm looking for some small-medium plants to fill out the mid ground. I was considering cryptocorynes again but they can get so out of hand.

Also thinking about dosing calcium.

Fish are doing well and colouring up nicely. The shrimps have gone back into hiding.
 
I would trim the affected parts of the carpet with the BBA. I also notice quite a bit of green dust algae in your tank - and what I am about to suggest will be controversial, but I recommend you adding some ramshorn snails to your tank. They absolutely love GDA and will help keep the tank clean. No matter what other people say, I love these guys =). You can even crush them and use them as fish food if you have too many - they are just the best.
 
I would trim the affected parts of the carpet with the BBA. I also notice quite a bit of green dust algae in your tank - and what I am about to suggest will be controversial, but I recommend you adding some ramshorn snails to your tank. They absolutely love GDA and will help keep the tank clean. No matter what other people say, I love these guys =). You can even crush them and use them as fish food if you have too many - they are just the best.
Do you mean the tiny ones which multiply by the millions? I just managed to get rid of them from my old tank.

Any other ways to clear it?

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
 
Hmm... they aren't exactly tiny - they are about 1cm in length (some get really large) and look like the snail to the right of the shrimp (found another photo and added too). I have them in all my tanks, ALL of them. It helps amateurs like myself keep the tank clean while we try to learn/find the right balance.

Any algae is a symptom of imbalance. It will never go away completely but it can be minimized. You need to find the right balance for your tank mass, light and co2. First thing I would do is turn off the filter, scrub/wipe the heck out of the glass with a paper towel or a normal towel and then do a 50% WC. The key is when cleaning or trimming is to do WC right after to get rid of as many spores as you can (and to get rid of any dead leaves and whatnot). You can imagine that if you constantly change the water you will not only deplete it of nutrients (that plants need) but also of any existing algae spores.

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What are your opinions of gravel vacuuming planted tanks?

I don't currently but I want to get some corys and they need quite clean substrate. The substrate is very loose.

Some say just invest in Malaysian Trumpet Snails, but I'm not sure I want them messing up the layout.

Thanks,



How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
 
Hi all,
I have them in all my tanks, ALL of them. It helps amateurs like myself keep the tank clean while we try to learn/find the right balance.
I'm the same as @Doubu, I'm definitely a Red Ramshorn fan, and I also like <"leaf litter"> in the tanks.
What are your opinions of gravel vacuuming planted tanks?
It is going to do more harm than good.
I don't currently but I want to get some corys and they need quite clean substrate. The substrate is very loose.
They are better with sand, but the substrate needs to be healthy, and that isn't the same as clean.
Some say just invest in Malaysian Trumpet Snails, but I'm not sure I want them messing up the layout.
I like MTS too.

cheers Darrel
 
Do you mean the tiny ones which multiply by the millions?
that would be Malaysian Trumpet Snails alright ;)
- I'd take ramshorn snails over them any day (look for some of the more exotic colors, they are likely less aggressive colonizers)

Horned Nerite snails are cute things & seldom breed in freshwater, also unlike some Nerite sp, they seldom seem to deposit those white eggs (everywhere :eek:)

Given the rainbows & angels, I suspect any shrimp will learn to play leastinsight or suffer the consequences :wideyed:
 
that would be Malaysian Trumpet Snails alright ;)
- I'd take ramshorn snails over them any day (look for some of the more exotic colors, they are likely less aggressive colonizers)

Horned Nerite snails are cute things & seldom breed in freshwater, also unlike some Nerite sp, they seldom seem to deposit those white eggs (everywhere :eek:)

Given the rainbows & angels, I suspect any shrimp will learn to play leastinsight or suffer the consequences :wideyed:
I bought a nerite a few months ago and it laid white eggs everywhere! I've had nerites in the past and they've never done this.

Also, I don't wanna sound stupid but these red ramshorns are different from the pest ones?

When I search for Red Ramshorns I get this:
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But I used to have these which I also thought were ramshorns, they are a few mm big at most:
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They can supposedly damage delicate plants?


Thanks

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
 
hi,yeah got a three foot aqua oak been in the hobby about 30 years ,just going through a bad patch need inspiration ,been planted for about 3 years co2 ei dosing, now no co2 little feed and little plants very soft water,just not sure which way to go ,dont take this the wrong way your set up was so simple but very effective ,you know when you see something you thinks thats it i like that simple ,ian
 
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