NatureScape - The End

[zozo]

What realy works very good is a spot treatment in combination with Easy Carbo (Glut) followed by a 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2). Sequence doesn't realy mater.

I came to the idea of reading an article from plantektank.net about the 1 - 2 Punch, a bit more drastic approach with both substances dosed relatively high for the entire tank followed large water changes. The replies of people trying that recipe all were rather positive as very effective method. But i wasn't confident to try that high dose with fish in the tank. So i choose not to and only spot treat small quantities with both over a periode of time on different locations.

Also this works very effective, once it is damaged and keep dosing glut at normal recomended dosage delivers the final blow preventing it to recover.

Haven't dosed any glut anymore for over 2 months and the all over status of BBA in the tank is still acceptable and easy to control with a bit of peroxide.


Anyway, in the worst BBA periodes with 80% of all wood covered with it and killing all the moss, the 3% peroxide only spot treatment didn't do zip to the algae. And that indeed is disheartening.

 

[Andrew Butler]

Easy Carbo (Glut) followed by a 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2)

I was about to ask whether this was a treatment while livestock were in the tank until I read the answer.
I've not got a problem with BBA right now but my mum has and looking to me for answers, do you know where the reading is about this '1-2 punch' treatment or can you explain it please?

 

[zozo]

The method is completely explained here.
https://www.plantedtank.net/forums/23-algae/203684-one-two-punch-whole-tank-algae-treatment.html

The H2O2 only treatment is a popular method in Germany and fully explained at the shop afiliated with FlowGrow forum.
https://www.aquasabi.com/aquascaping-wiki/algae/hydrogen-peroxide-treatment

I never did this H2O2 full tank treatment in a tank with fish.. Even tho alledgedly safe, but i just don't like it and don't dislike algae that much to go to such drastic matters with chemicals. But i once tried it on a planted tank only with a cladophora outbreak and it worked a charme all algae killed. (For the time beeing, ofcourse)

In tanks with life stock i rather spot treat small amounts over a longer periode. Ofcourse that way you can't reach spots you don't see.. But what the hell, what i don't see doesn't hurt. I'm not that fanatic anti algae nerd, to some degree it's still something natural imho and should be viewed as such.

But that is something everybody has to decide for their own..

Succes..

 

[CooKieS]

I've done once an H202 treatment on my dennerle nano cube 20l and lost half of my livestock...be careful with that stuff!

Spot treatment with glut is safer but takes time.

 

[Daveslaney]

If you have Monte Carlo your tank H2O2 will wipe this out too.

 

[alto]

Agree with the above, there are loads of mixed result reports with peroxide use re livestock
(as expected really)

Excel use reports are a bit more homogenous re livestock BUT this should not be assumed to apply equally to alternate sources of Glutaraldehyde (especially when marketed for sanitation use)

Like Formalin, storage & manufacture may dramatically impact grade/purity of Glutaraldehyde - in the case of Formalin, byproducts are well documented and some are very toxic to aquatic species
Aldehyde reactivity/chemistry is worth a read before using non-aquarium branded products

Aquarium marketed products tend to have built in stoopidity safe guards including special attention to stabilization of the aldehydes

 

[Tim Harrison]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I've been dealing with the BBA, but it's unrelenting because the decomposing wood is unbalancing the system too much, and it's taking far more time and energy than I'm used to investing. Plus I'm getting a thick surface film; a sure sign something is wrong. It's got to the point where I might as well rescape. However, I won't have time to do it for a while, I might take the wood out in the meantime. It's a shame, but I think it looked better just after it was first scaped.

TBH I gave up a couple of weeks ago and have been turning a blind eye ever since. Prior to that I was also spot treating and dosing LC, and trying to keep up with the good housekeeping. Fertz are good, and CO2 flow and distribution are more than adequate.

Plus I'm having to keep the light intensity relatively low and the duration to around 6 hrs/day. This means that I'm not getting the rate of growth I'm aiming for, nor the growth morphology from the stems that I want either. Up shot, the scape has become a slog without the tradeoff of being as aesthetically pleasing as I'd like, and neither am I learning very much...other than not to use so much untested wood in a small aquarium

As it is now, it doesn't bear up at all well to close scrutiny...

After it was first scaped; sort of an inverted "from this to this"...

 

[alto]

It's a shame, but I think it looked better just after it was first scaped.

That’s a sensation I can relate
My relationship with any scape I create cycles between love hate tolerate heh not too bad looking grand damn needs a massive trim hmmm maybe a complete rescape gorgeous happy fish

I redid my 90 x 45 a couple months back, then recently watched a GF video again and was reminded how much I liked Balbi Vaquero’s Interzoo 2018 style and had meant to try and incorpate that end view as I also frequently view this tank side on ...


I vote for wood removal and just letting plants grow until you’ve time to rescape

Add in an Eheim 350 skim - they’re fantastic at surface clean and returning a sparkle to the water
Just watch for shrimp and fish getting in - I placed a cut down Tropica plant pot over the top, shrimp will still climb in but they seem quite happy in there (just fish seem to “drown” )

 

[Tim Harrison]

Finally got around to stripping this nightmare of a scape down. I couldn't leave it any longer, it was seriously starting to depress me...

First step, getting rid of the troublesome wood...

Trying to salvage a few plants. Before...

After...

The inevitable muddy puddle...

Ready for the ReBoot. Watch this space...

by Tim Harrison, on Flickr

 

[oscar]

Add so it begins again

 

[Konsa]

Hi Tim
Your scapes always inspire me.Its good to see that even a lot more skilled forum members have their tanks in a stuggle sometimes.I am not happy about it tho.U have my admiration for being brave in sharing your lows with the rest of us together with the stunning setups U usually have.
What techniques did U use for cleaning the anubias?
Regards Konsa

 

[CooKieS]

Good luck, this Time it will be ok!

Bba is always an pain...got rid of mine by very lean dosing

 

[Matt @ ScapeEasy]

Those before and after shots are amazing! Good luck with it keep us informed!...

 

[Zeus.]

Lost for words but thanks for sharing the 'whole' journey. Like Alto said it was looking so good.

 

[Tim Harrison]

Thank you for the kind words guys, it means a lot

Thanks @Konsa that's really nice of you to say so. I think it's important to show warts an' all. Most folk that leave the hobby do so because of algae problems. They can be tackled with knowledge and perseverance, the key is understanding why algae has become a problem so the cause can be treated. In this case I'm sure it was the disintegrating wood producing an overwhelming organic load, so a total reboot was probably the only way forward

And thanks also @CooKieS I hope so, and that I didn't get the diagnosis wrong, and that it was something else besides the wood. I suppose good scientific method would have been to see how the scape faired without it, but I couldn't look at the scape any more.

@Matt @ ScapeEasy and @Zeus. thanks matt and Karl. I'm going to continue the reboot in this journal...for me it's all part and parcel of the same journey. And @oscar it may have all gone Pete Tong but nevertheless...we continue...

P.S. @Konsa nearly forgot, as for cleaning the anubias, I just picked off the infested leaves. They were mainly old emersed growth: you know the old story, dying, releasing organics and feeding the BBA...

 

[oscar]

I have only been in the hobby for a couple of years on/off, gaining knowledge experience from valued members like yourself. I reckon this forum is excellent and has all that is needed for the beginner ( folk like myself ) and the more advanced hobbyist .
Hopefully you are back soon, take care and bring on the next chapter

For me i still luv my fluval f90, but very tempted to go evolution aquascaper 900 as is a very contemporary tank/cabinet ..

 

[Keith GH]

Tim

At the moment your empty tank reminds me of a small tank in a small up market shop window in Melbourne Aust. It had water in the tank and a small sign saying "Invisible Fish"
People were actually looking and saying they could see fish.

Keith

 

[alto]

Well done on the reboot

I’m always too impatient to wait for things to get back on the right path sooooo late this afternoon I decided to overhaul my main tank - the 90cm that’s visible from everywhere in the open plan room ... it’s simply been growing uglier and uglier and I’ve been neglecting it rather
I quite liked it initially (until I saw Oliver Knotts Felix Altum tank!) ... then all I could see were my mistakes

I just checked in here and you’ve got yours sparkling clean and full of possibility

It’s a shame the wood didn’t work, it’s really a beautiful piece

 

[Tim Harrison]

Thanks guys...

For me i still luv my fluval f90, but very tempted to go evolution aquascaper 900 as is a very contemporary tank/cabinet ..

Go for it oscar, the 900 is an awesome tank, just the right size, plus you can still keep your f90...there's nothing wrong with MTS

Tim

At the moment your empty tank reminds me of a small tank in a small up market shop window in Melbourne Aust. It had water in the tank and a small sign saying "Invisible Fish"
People were actually looking and saying they could see fish.

Keith

Haha, thanks Keith, I like the look of the empty tank better than the scape

Well done on the reboot

I’m always too impatient to wait for things to get back on the right path sooooo late this afternoon I decided to overhaul my main tank - the 90cm that’s visible from everywhere in the open plan room ... it’s simply been growing uglier and uglier and I’ve been neglecting it rather

Snap, that's exactly how I felt. Have you posted a pic somewhere on the forum? I'd like to see that

It’s a shame the wood didn’t work, it’s really a beautiful piece

It is, you're right. The irony is if I chose to use it again it'd probably be okay since most of the rot might've already taken place, but I don't think I'll be taking the risk
Another thing that occurred to me yesterday was that I didn't have enough filter media to handle the organic load, As usual I only had enough just to cover the bottom of each tray. I think I'll fill the filter up with it next time. My filter is 150 l/hr overrated for x10 flow anyway.

 

[Ady34]

If it’s not fun it’s not worth it, best moving on to the next and enjoying the journey again, sometimes it’s the only way as the damage has been done.
I will look forward to seeing the next creation.
Cheerio
Ady.