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Hi all, Perfect. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I usually just leave bits of wood with bark outside until it falls off. This also ensures that <"any sap"> has <"also gone">. I think a lot of the <"spider wood"> etc. imported from SE Asia is fresh wood that has had its bark stripped and it is the sap that causes the bloom of fungi...

Hi all, Ideally you want it without bark, but yes you can just scrub the lichen off. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Elm is <"ring porous">, meaning it has an obvious ring of larger pores in each growth ring. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think it is hardwood, from the branching shape. I'd guess it may be Elm (Ulmus sp.). You may be able to tell from rings, they are quite distinctive in Elm. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, It is. Ideally you want dense hard woods, and they don't float very well. Soak it for a long time to get rid of any salt. Salt (NaCl) is highly soluble, but may have soaked into the wood. If you don't have a pond or similar, you can use rain water, but you'll need to change it fairly...

Hi all, <"Wooden dowels"> work really well for locking bits of wood together. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It should be fine. The layer below the bark might contain <"some sugar and protein"> (which is what the <"Plecs are after">), but just keep oxygen levels up and that should deal with the extra bioload. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, Reef Epoxy Resin? I think that is what the marine people use. cheers Darrel

Hi all, You don't need to add any ammonia (NH3/NH4+) in terms of cycling. You need to keep the plants in active growth, and why you don't have any livestock? You can use a <"fertiliser containing ammonium">. I used <"MiracleGro">, mainly because it is cheap to buy. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'd guess it doesn't matter too much where you start, or what the journey is, you can just wait until the plant mass is grown in and then you are <"cycled"> and <"fish safe">. Tank maturity is likely to take a bit longer, and I would look at <"maturity as a parameter that is continually...

Hi all, <"I think it"> is for the reasons that @Miniandy suggests. I've never used an ammonia rich substrate, or added ammonia deliberately, so it isn't something I have practical experience of. You could definitely <"add a floating plant from the start">, it isn't <"carbon (C) limited">, it...

Hi all, That is the problem, there is now so much information (<"most of it wrong">) that it is really difficult to sort out the <"coffee from the froth">. It won't have done any harm and if you haven't got access to filter material, or are going to keep <"a tank without plants"> it is a...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS, APT Start? I think it includes ammonia as well as "nitrifying bacteria" <"https://www.amazon.co.uk/2HR-Aquarist-Aquarium-substrate-enrichment/dp/B0BTD3CF1S">. If it is "API Start" <"https://apifishcare.com/product/quick-start">, it says "suitable for saltwater and...

Hi all, The roots don't actually need to reach the substrate, they are fine entirely hydroponically in the water column. If they do reach the substrate it will increase growth rate, but they usually grow pretty well any way. I don't, but you could try one of <"our sponsors"> - <"Aquarium...

Hi all, I think if the growing point was underwater? It probably wouldn't be successful. If the rock was at surface level? I might be tempted to use thread, or an elastic band etc, (rather than superglue) purely because they don't really have a hard rhizome and I think the superglue will...

Hi all, Can you have <"little clips"> on the tank rim? Ideally you want the plant caudex (the bit the leaves grow from) to <"be above the water level">. I just wedged / tucked this bit in, but I already had the <"Epipremnum"> (Pothos) growing. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I use these type (bought as <"lab supplies">). A long <"burette cleaning brush"> is really useful, "16mm" is about right for 13 mm hoses, but they come in other sizes as well. cheers Darrel

Hi all, That one. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, To answer your question, "yes leave them". Personally I would let them grow for a lot longer before I pruned them*. There are some mosses, but plants like Cryptocoryne & Bucephalandra spp. are exclusively from the Old World. Echinodorus (and the plants split from it) are all New...

Hi all, I usually (<"pyo my own"> & <"Finding my own hardscape (NE Scotland)">) as well, but a few years ago I planted a <"Corkscrew Hazel"> Corylus avellana "Contorta" partially so I could lop bits from it, but I still haven't done it. cheers Darrel

Hi all, You can <"use superglue"> and stick <"moss and Java Fern (etc) to the top">. I've <"prepared plenty"> in the past. You need a <"moss that attaches">, if you use Java Moss (<"Taxiphyllum barbieri">) you will get a quick covering, but other mosses may be better in the long run...

Hi all, I think it is fine with <"plenty of plant root growth">. I would be slightly wary of replanting plants, but I don't personally ever break the tanks down or disturb the substrate, and I always have Malaysian Trumpet Snails (Melanoides tuberculata). You may get anoxic layers, but I'm...

Hi all, It does, it is via <"granular convection">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Same for us in the S. UK, the warmest (and wettest) February ever - <"Warmest February on record for England and Wales">. We've had some biblical flooding since October 2023...

Hi all, That is why I'm not too bothered about pH in soft water, it is a moveable feast and doesn't necessarily give you a complete picture. @_Maq_ 's acid neutralising capacity is more useful as a concept <"Some handy facts about water">. A lot of people now have soft water with a high pH ...

Hi all, No, it is a good starting point. Basically it is a lot easier to add things to water than take them away, so starting with a ~ blank slate is usually an advantage. For me I can make our rainwater harder and more alkaline easily (by adding hard tap water, Epsom Salts etc.) but I could...

Hi all, I agree with @richardcunliffe, but I'm not sure anyone will have the definitive answer. I would guess that it isn't, mainly because the little branches and twigs are intact. This is Manzanita wood from California <"Manzanita wood shipment to the UK: where to ship it to">. We have...

Hi all, Certainly is. I'd guess that means some was p.y.o. from a local loch. cheers Darrel

Hi all, That looks great. A result and <"a work out">. I can see a side-hustle here .................. from To (re-interpreted) as .......... and worth £50 of anybodies money. cheers Darrel

Hi all, We have a thread <"Correspondence with Dr Ryan Newton - School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee"> which is well worth reading, and this was what Dr Newton said: If you don't have an ammonia rich substrate? I'd recommend planting and then just aim to feed...

...from a Garden Centre etc. In terms of placement larger nearer the main rocks and smaller nearer the front, but not too ordered. I think @Tim Harrison has a journal? somewhere? with natural looking gravel placement*. Edit: Found it <"High-energy soil-substrate layout - updated"> . cheers...

Hi all, We have a thread : <"Glue gun and hot glue... anything I should know before using it?">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, May have done that one as well, and I've also had an "I'll just pop to the loo moment" while chopping chilli as well. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'm feeling better now, I only managed to <"glue my fingers together">, I didn't set fire to them at the same time. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I always PYO my own wood - <"Now is a good time to find PYO Oak branches for Aquascaping">. You know where it was <"sourced from"> and whether it is <"likely to be suitable">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'm pretty sure it should be all right <"L191 Feeding - PlanetCatfish.com"> & <"PlanetCatfish.com - June - 2009 - Catfish of the Month">, but the <"wood is pretty soft">, and even the <"root heart wood"> won't last long. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Yes, it is like @Edvet 's <"Duckweed mountain">. The problem is <"just converting"> your "black gold" into some euros. Alder (Alnus spp.) cones might be another "product" you could sell <"Alder cones | The Essentials Company">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think @seedoubleyou's is a good suggestion, but you can get black gravel from Unipac etc. I might like a basalt based one, if you can get it. The other option is a bit of a left field suggestion, but a black, granular plant medium might also work, something like "Flourite Black"...

Hi all, Dead bamboo lasts at least ten years under water. I've still got the same <"bamboo cane"> I had <"in 2008">, although it hasn't been in the water for all that time. Have a look at <"Bamboo as a building material">. It isn't really relevant to this conversation, but the "wood" that...

Hi all, You can get naturally black Bamboo. The one you see in the UK is Phyllostachys nigra, but I assume there are other species. <"I've used Bamboo a lot"> and <"it is fine in the aquarium">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, <"Same for me">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Rounded cobbles are always fine, you just need to give them a quick dip in freshwater and they are good to go. Only really <"hard rocks form rounded cobbles">, and really hard rocks aren't porous. Have a look at <"Large rocks for large tanks">. It is illegal in the UK without a license...

Hi all, I use <"wooden dowels">, they swell when they are wet and effectively lock the pieces together, but before that you can rotate the pieces etc. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Are you feeding the plants at all? cheers Darrel

Hi all, If you can drill holes in the wood? You can <"use dowels"> (a bit like constructing Ikea furniture). Once <"they are wet they will swell"> and lock the wood together without gluing etc. I've come around full circle and I'm now back to using dowels as the best option. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Evergreen Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), Camellia or <"Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)">. Some <"Loquat leaves"> found their way to <"Colin Dunlop"> via @Lindy. I've <"still got plenty">, if you can't find them anywhere else? Beech (Fagus sylvatica) or Oak (Quercus spp.) are other, long...

Hi all, It is definitely a vine (Liana), I don't think it is a Grape Vine (but I'm not entirely sure it isn't), but I think the problem is the same as if it was, it is soft, sap wood, not hard, heart wood. It might be Vitaceae, but I'd guess <"Araliaceae"> (like Ivy (Hedera spp.) or most...

Hi all, There is definitely a thread somewhere where @Siege mentions they are going to use it in a display tank. I should have said the issue with Figs (Ficus spp.), would be their latex containing sap. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It looks <"to be a liana">, and possibly a <"Strangler Fig">? <"True bonsai looking plant in aquarium"> which could account for why people have <"had a poor experience with it">? From Marcel's ( @zozo) post. cheers Darrel

Hi all, There will be a <"geological map for every county">. Some areas (<"Lake District for example">) will have a vast amount of literature, other, less geologically exciting, counties much less. There may also be <"enthusiast"> web pages, often to do with <"industrial archaeology and...

Hi all, It is fine. <"https://glnp.org.uk/images/uploads/services/geodiversity-strategy/building-stones-web.pdf">. It will be a <"Jurassic age Oolitic limestone / sandstone / mudstone">, with some ferric iron staining, which give it the colour. The question really with all rocks is "how hard...

Hi all, Welcome back @hydrophyte , it has been a while. I can <"truthfully say"> you've been gone, <"but not forgotten">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS. I'm another Wiltshire (Corsham) resident, so not far up the road from you. He gets a <"mention on the forum">. Have a look at <"Best terrestrial plants for Emersed growth"> there are links in that thread to other posts that maybe of interest. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Cracks in the pavement definitely sounds like Sagina procumbens/apetala. Shop bought it might be <"Sagina subulata">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Just use rain-water. One of the "mosses" looks like it might be a vascular plant, <"Sagina procumbens">. It is a universal weed in plant nurseries. This one is probably Sagina apetala, but they all look the same. If it is definitely a moss? It looks like <"Atrichum undulatum -...

Hi all, I know what you mean, but "ignoring" is almost certainly the best option. It wouldn' t bother me, but I'm pretty slap-dash and <"have no sense of aesthetics">. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, The easiest answer is just ignore it, and it will go away. You would need to keep the moss in contact with the water, so it wicks the water up. You could start with a terrestrial moss (any-one will do). Chemical methods are unlikely to work, the bits you can see on the surface is just...

Hi all, Should be <"absolutely fine">. I keep <"smaller bits in a bucket">, if I think I'm going to use them fairly soon, dry if I'm not going to use them for a while. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Plant growth looks pretty good. You could trim your moss and then staple (or tie) the cuttings onto different areas of wood? "Floating Fern" <"Ceratopteris thalictroides is a good one">, <"you can often get it"> from <"Pets@Home">. It is the fern in @Parablennius 's <"Floaters"> post...

Hi all, Also good for moss growth. "Håvard Støre Andresen", now that is a name from the past, he posted some <"amazing tanks on PlanetCatfish">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I've lost a few of the original ones I bought, but I've gained a few as well so I've still got ~10. They were resting somewhere else for most of the summer, but they are back in the normal corner now. cheers Darrel

Hi all, <"Cryptocoryne x willisii">? cheers Darrel

Hi all, I've got a <"jenga tank">, definitely not aquascaped and more wood than water. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Perfect and another one to add to UKAPS list of <"unusual analogies">. That would be fairer, but I guess people are always going to "game" a competition, whatever rules exist. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I like it, but I also think it is a very recently flooded dry start. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, No, you are fine, have a look at <"Geology of the Isle of Portland">. Because the water in Lake Tanganyika is fully saturated with bicarbonate (dKH) <"limestones won't go into solution">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Exactly the same with the Anubias, leaves intact, but detached, and a totally disintegrated rhizome. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'm guessing that Aroids, in general, don't respond very well to <"high ammonia levels">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Dark start is useful if you have a an active substrate <"which is initially is ammonia rich">, like ADA Amazonia, and you want to deplete that ammonia and develop a <"complex assemblage of microbes"> within the filter. If you combine light and ammonia you are likely to get a lot of...

Hi all, There are a few different threads and posts. Most of it get a run-out in <"Dr Timothy Hovanec's comments about Bacterial supplements"> and the Aquarium Co-Op's <"Seasoned Tank Time"> thread. There are some <"scientific references"> in <"Tanks without fish">. I haven't had time to...

Hi all, The colour depends on the geology of the volcano, if you were near a "spreading centre" plate boundary (like Iceland) you would have <"alkaline lava">, which doesn't contain much silica and is dark in colour. If you didn't mind a smooth rock? You might be able to get large "Basalt"...

Hi all, Plants need all <"fourteen of the essential mineral nutrients"> to grow, so it probably would be a good idea to add a <"complete fertiliser">. I use the growth of a floating plant as an indication of <"when to feed">, others will use some fraction of Estimative Index (EI) dosing...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS. Try adding some floating plants, they aren't CO2 limited so can make use of all the <"available light"> and <"nutrients">. They will act like a <"net curtain"> and will diffuse the light until your slower growing plants get going. I'd probably see that <"as a...

Hi all, That would be the advantage of a moss over Monte Carlo etc. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I don't think it matters whether they do or not. <"Anaerobic zones"> (or zones of <"fluctuating REDOX">) are normal in sediments and may actually help with making nutrients available. Would keep everything aerobic. Diana Walstad used bricks in her "aquascapes". cheers Darrel

Hi all, In terms of oxygen content it is really more = better. It is possible to have <"too much dissolved oxygen">, but only in <"very exceptional circumstances">. If you have fish that need warmer temperatures you can go higher, but that is a good temperature range otherwise. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, The establishment of the <"cycle bacteria"> is meant to be aided by higher temperatures. My guess would be that it makes no difference to the <"micro-organisms that actually perform nitrification">. @Lance Wisher , you might be interested in our thread with <"Dr Tim Hovanec">...

Hi all, New one for me as well and really nice. The leaves are great. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Do you know what the Gesnerid in the middle picture is? cheers Darrel

Hi all, Nice fish, juvenile <"Tropheus">? You can use any landscape rock you like in your tank, your water is going to be very hard and if the rock did make the water harder? It would be a good thing. I like the <"rounded cobbles"> that you buy for landscaping etc. These are from...

Hi all, There isn't any physical room for plants, some of his stocking densities are more like "Sardines in a can", rather than an aquarium. cheers Darrel

H all, Yes, he is right about the rocks and what he says is applicable if you have hard water, adding carbonate rocks <"can't make the water any harder">. Same applies to any metal ores that the rock might contain, in hard water (and in the extremely unlikely event they are present) they will...

Hi all, I've kept Corydoras pygmaeus and/or C. hastatus for at least the last 15 years and I would consider feeding them with suitable small food items a pre-requisite for long term success. Mine get Grindal and micro-worms every day, Daphnia most days and a top up of <"Fluval Bugbites">...

Hi all, I keep Corydoras pygmaeus, they seem pretty happy and I see them every day. If I haven't seen them for a while a scrape of micro-worms will get them active. There tank is this one, and it has filled in a fair bit more since I took the photo (October 2020). They move around a bit...

Hi all, <"Fossil Hominid"> for me. cheers Darrel

Hi all, They work really well. I've used <"ordinary soft wood dowel"> and the pieces are still locked together ~10 years on. The issue with Bamboo is that it won't swell so you need to be a lot more precise with your drilling. cheers Darrel

Hi all, The roots would last longer, and @Dorey's palm flower longer again. Thinking about the bare root Alder, the easiest option may be a growing plant? With its roots in front of the hardscape? <"Cyperus alternifolius"> would have the right sort of roots. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Yes, it does totally safe. They probably wont last very long in the tank was another thought. No. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It is, a quick search for "Vetiveria zizanioides" and "phytoremediation" on <"Google Scholar would pull up lots of papers">. One reason it has been used is that it is "luxury absorber" and <"can be used for phyto-extraction">. That would be a little bit open to question, it would...

Hi all, If it really does have a slightly metallic sheen? I think it might "slag" <"from metal smelting"> (possibly zinc (Zn), lead (Pb) or copper (Cu)). cheers Darrel

Hi all, Not exactly what you want, but you can buy <"birch twigs for besom brooms">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, The drop checker solely measures the amount of dissolved CO2, other acids or bases in the water don't have any effect on it. Because it has the air gap only gases can diffuse across that gap. Have a look at <"CO2 relationship to KH">. I'm <"not a CO2 user">, but there is an explanation...

Hi all, No, it should be really rot resistant "as is", that is why you get the <"stag-headed" Oaks in fields">. The heart wood is very rot resistant, you can get timber framed houses that still have <"medieval Oak beams">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Cut a bit off, put it in the tank. It looks like it might be <"Oak (Quercus robur)">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'd be incredibly wary of introducing <"Soleirolia (Helxine) soleirolii">, it is very invasive. @Jaceree have a look at @hydrophyte posts, he tried a lot of <"different plants emersed">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'd like to think so, but as another Bonsai related sculpture is: Which seems to have a touch more of the Elon Musk's about it. I understand that, I'm not trying to impose some sort of cultural hegemony, and people are going to see very different things in any art work. My guess is...

Hi all, I'm not sure I understand conceptual art. I went to talk where the presenter explained why the paintings of Vermeer and Rembrandt were of their time, and that if either of those artists had worked in the 21st century they would have produced video installations etc. At least I think...

Hi all, I've an opinion about his work in general, totally artistically and morally bankrupt. cheers Darrel

Hi all, They are fine, however the suckers on them <"are useless">, so you need stainless steel, or <"acrylic hooks">, that fit over the glass rim, <"to anchor them in position">. @hydrophyte (Devin Biggs) doesn't <"come on the forum any more">, but he still has his company in America and...