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Can you provide a full plant this for this? Awesome scape, looking to encompass some elements in a new tank of mine. although I haven't got the wood or rock... or any substrate yet...

I think i will forget the bonsai idea. im after something that will look great on my desk at work, and bonsai trees fit that bill nicely. I didnt put much thinking into their natural conditions! I dont want a small droopy potted plant but something that looks a bit more elegant (if that makes...

Edit - i gave read they dont like being indoors and specifically in artificial office environments

Hi, Not sure if anyone on here is knowledgable when it comes to Bonsai trees? Im looking at getting one for my desk at work, but usure if the conditions are right. Its a light and airy office and i am about 10ft from floor to ceiling windows on two sides so should get natural light too. I...

Photos are heavily doctored though. Look at the colour saturations of them. Be hard to win when the mountain is bright red! Its not all about the likes, there is judging involved which is on my side. The Striped catfish you see on my entry has never been caught in 5 years except by me. Its the...

ADMIN - i hope this is allowed? - It is fish related, albeit on a bigger scale. Hi all, I am currently entered in a photo competition on Facebook (not a hardcore professional one) with the subject being fishing photos in and around a particular complex in Thailand. You are only allowed to...

Hi, I have grown bored of my planted tank and fancy a change in scene. Having kept a wide variety of freshwater fish and inverts over the years i fancy a new challenge. Before i sell all my gear and leave the hobby, i would like to keep L046 as one last hurrah! I believe my current tank and...

Hi all, Slightly off topic I am having alot of trouble transferring files (music) from my phone to my laptop. My phone is a Samsung s7 and the laptop is a fairly new Toshiba with good performance. Usually, i plug my phone into the USB slot, it will auto connect and transfer no issue. I am...

I dont play it alot, but its useful for DVDs and TV shows etc. Probably THE most annoying little problem it could have been :lol:

I now have a working PS3. You absolute legend, thank you so much for your help, and everyone else that chipped in. Who knew aquatic gardeners are also tech wizards?

I will give this a try tonight thanks! Its odd because i know the TV works, i know the HDMI ports work and i know the PS3 works, so it must be the connection between the two. On a side note, i would be loathed to throw the PS3 away anyway because i wouldnt want to buy a 4 when the 5 cant be...

Unfortunately the myth continues. All four boxes were already ticked in the screen settings 576p 720p 1080i 1080p I tried unticking the 1080i and 1080p alternately and starting up again, to no avail. Next suggestion please? :banghead:

Thanks for the suggestion, i will look into this. Any idea how to change it? I assume its in the settings menu? We have had samsung TVs in the house for about 8 years (4 of them) and they have always been spot on. I replaced my original 21 inch with a new 32, and now i have an issue! Its...

No updates were done before the problem, so they shouldnt have caused it. Ive tried holding it down it numerous ways and i never get two beeps together. One beep when you turn it on, and the second after 5 seconds. It brings up a screeb saying 'a new HDMI connection has been found, do you...

Hi all, Im hoping someone on here has experienced this, or might have a solution. Last night my PS3 wouldn't connect via HDMI to my Samsung TV. It was working the day before as normal. I have tried the cable in HDMI slot 1 and 2 and the relevant source setting on the TV. I have tried...

Perfect, thanks guys. I used to use Aquarian flake, and whilst ii found it did the job for nutrition, i think colouration could have been better in the fish. I know alot of this is down to water quality etc

Hi all, I have a shoal of Rummynoses and i would like to know any recommendations for food? I feed live / frozen foods as well as spirulina flake, but would like a good quality dry food that will enhance the colour of the fish and provide all the nutrients needed. Thanks, Nick

Its alright. It does get very hot though. If they ever do a 'mk2 version' i hope they would address that issue. Theres better products out there for a little more money but its powerful and good looking. The colouration is very white though. It could do with some pinks and blues to soften it...

Hi all, Been a while since my last high tech planted tank and i recently got the itch to do another. Tank: Optiwhite Rimless 60x45x45 Light: - chirios Aquasky Filter: Ex1200 Substrate: Tropica Aquarium soil + plant growth Co2 - 2kg FE Hardscape - Seriyu Stone Plants - Micranthem Monte...

Just like to add i had a 4x2x2 build by ND aquatics about 5 years ago. Really wasnt impressed with the build quality, lead times and the tank was built incorrectly according to the specs i supplied. HOPEFULLY they are alot better now.

i planted mine straight into the substrate on tuesday and havent seen any growth since which is odd. dry start method, tropical soil and plant grow underneath. lights on 8 hours a day. I did trim the plants a bit when planting, perhaps i shouldnt have done this?

practically chewing your water!

Its not grippy because of its lightness. Theres no weight pushing down on the plant from all sides to hold it in the substrate. Tropica soil is quite light but still heavier than the Manado. I used to love the JBL aquabasis as a base layer substrate. Does cloud quite alot when uprooting plants...

Lovely build Fred. might be nice to sit by it in these warmer evenings and watch the fish cruise.

Fire up that Barbie!

Thanks, will be dry starting so will just be wetting the soil enough for the roots. The substrate slope might pose a problem though - for the water levels. Once they go submersed i can wack up the co2 and light as there will be no fish yet.

hi all, i have got some 12grow pots and im not sure the best way to plant this one? is it as simple as pulling apart and dividing into individual shoots? The hairgrass is simple, but Monte carlo is new to me. Must say, im impressed how well they travel in the pots.

Its not considered healthy really, but it does taste nicer with alot less calcium in it. Especially cups of tea! Water that comes out of our taps in this modern age is perfectly fine anyway.

can taste a massive difference if you live in a hard water area. my tap was last recorded at over 300ppm!

yes agreed, thats perfectly acceptable. On a fish tank i wouldnt recommend doing it though. Difficult tropical fish like discus are more fussy than Koi. For the sake of another 25 litres or so, its not worth risking!

Dont cut it with tap water, defeats the whole point of having an RO unit. If you are trying to remove possible harmful substances from the tap water (metals etc), then why would you go and mix it with tap water afterwards? Just buy some remineralising powder to get your water back to the...

I personally wouldn't worry about achieving zero. Mine hits zero after a filter change but slowly creeps up. After a year it hits 10ppm and i change the filters again, just as a precaution. The main thing you are trying to achieve is to remove harmful metals and contaminants from the water and...

I have some more rock but alot of the pieces are a bit odd. I didnt get to choose it. Will have another play before my plants arrive tuesday. Might have to get the hammer out! Thanks all

Hi all, having a play with the limited rocks i do have. Let me know your thoughts and the layout you prefer. #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 Thanks all.

Wow

@Lindy any news on the stainless pipes you bought? are they any good?

Guys you shouldnt be taking rocks from beaches. I know its a drop in the ocean but its not good.

I see, some mixed reviews so far! I can and probably will be dry starting. It seems the best option to give the plants are good start.

Good advice thanks. Planning to do an Iwagumi as i have never done one before. But havent decided on the foreground plant!

What you need is Shimano Technium in 15lb LOL

Hi all, Looking to be planting a tank up in the near future and having been away from this side of the hobby, plant cultures are new to me. What are the advantages / disadvantages? Do the cultures suit certain species of plants alot better? Not sure whether to invest in some of these or...

Thanks for the advice. As you suspected im not a newbie to the scene but have just lost touch with some of the new products and techniques. Since my last full planted tank it must be about 6 years! I will buy one 2.5l bag of plant growth and get one 9l bag of soil plus a smaller bag just to...

Hi all, Planning a new 60x40 and ive worked out i will need about 12.5l for a 5cm substrate depth. However, i will be using the Tropical plant growth substrate and the soil over the top. What ratios should i use them in? Based on the above calculation would one 2.5l bag of the plant growth...

Looks like the silicone work is pretty decent though :lol: yeah its just really annoying not being able to 'crack' on with it. The courier company asked me if i wanted to keep the cabinet part, but i just sent the whole lot back as there can be no argument. think you got incredibly lucky Roy...

Hi all, As some of you may be aware i have been planning a return to the planted scene after being away (slightly) with a low tech planted tank for my CRS. Firstly i ordered a lovely optiwhite tank from Seapets only to be fobbed off with delivery dates and customer service. Nothing ever turned...

Hi guys A little update. After emailing the CEO and having no reply to that, i submitted all the evidence to paypal asking for a refund and opened a case. Today i have received a full refund but the seller did not add any notes to the case. (Typical, getting a word out of them is nye on...

The problem is that i would still like the goods as they are the only people that seem to sell what i want. I sent an email to their CEO last night stating the issues i have had (a timeline of problems) and what i would like to be clarified. I will give them a couple of working days to reply...

Hi all, Ive been having alot of problems with a well known aquatic retailer, as i have ordered a tank and cabinet only to be promised many different delivery dates and that i will be contacted and nothing has ever materialised. I have retained all messages i have exchanged with the company...

In short, yes. the majority of the bacteria are in the substrate and the filter. HOWEVER, be careful as you will be disturbing the substrate in the move which may cause you problems. Keep on top of the water changes on the 60 litre tank. would have thought that a filter capable of doing a...

How do you trim the carpet? its easy to uproot the whole lot and replant again, but im not sure on trimming? do you find the Aquasky gets very hot at 80-100% ?

Is it possible to connect an airpump to an inline co2 reactor or would the back pressure be too much for the pump? a fan will have very minimal effect. either you have an airstone or use the filter to create surface adjitation.

Maybe its a reflection of water parameters. You might have different water out of the tap or RO to me, and that could affect the bacterial bloom? It is very interesting. Agreed, common sese is a MASSIVE part of this hobby. Its very easy to observe the tank and learn what is happening just by...

tiger barbs will eat your shrimp when they get larger. Also, you should be dosing excel more than 1x a week. Perhaps smaller amounts but more often. Keep the CO2 level stable all through the week. rather than one big spike after the W/C.

Good luck Fred, cant wait to see it finished. Absolutely love having a pond in the summer months!

I have always water changed and filter cleaned in the same day for the last 10 years. Have never had an issue. Its extremely rare i would need to hoover the substrate though and thats where the majority of bacteria are (i believe) On my larger tanks i used to run two filters which were cleaned...

Not a fan of bettas myself, but the scape is great !

The plants wont really mind in theres a bit of detritus in the tank. What most people are trying to avoid is the potential for an algal breakout. If you can control and remove some of the detritus you will be keeping your tank parameters more stable, and thus avoiding reasons for the said...

It is do-able, of course. It will just take a bit longer as you wait for the effects to be reversed. With regard to the soil, its probably best to avoid stirring it up in that case.

IMO it looks like abad algal outbreak. If that were me i would tear the tank apart, move all the fish / plants for a day. Drain the tank, remove the algae and scrub the tank clean. Wash out the gravel and begin to start again. Begin to build from there.

Its about the 4th tank its been used on, so i have had it ages! Personally i have found that you get what you pay for in this hobby. Ive had cheap externals before and they are a little more noisy in the cabinet and also take longer to remove pipework etc. However, i have replaced alot of O...

what is the foreground plant in #557 ? is it some some sort of saggitaria?

I will be using a Tetratec ex1200 on my next 60cm tank. (85 litres) as long as the flow is spread out, the more the better!

it will be very difficult to keep Bee shrimp in tanks that small with co2. It is possible, but fluctuations can happen so quickly its a big risk. The bigger the tank the better when it comes to more tricky inverts. i would stick with some nice fire red cherries, perhaps some small Micro...

Vallis is an excellent choice. can create a good effect as they send out the runners.

see the for sale section. clearing the tank so have (had) 200 CRS shrimp to sell.

... or save the drive and buy some of my shrimp for a fraction of the price ;)

Nice tank Bex, is it situated in your study? I would find it hard to work with such a distraction, especially with fish / inverts in there. !! Personally i wouldnt be spot treating that, BUT Liquid carbon in the tank wouldnt hurt at all, however, be sure you dose it properly. Irregular dosing...

Hi Sumit, Welcome to UKAPS, you will enjoy the forum alot! Thats a lovely tank you have. You mentioned that temperatures hit 30C - How do the fish cope with these temps? When my tank hit 27C in this country i would be doing cooler water changes and adding large blocks of Ice. - Maybe i was a...

I see, thanks for the info. Its harder than i thought to find a decent set. It might have to be the nano borneo set then!

first thing i did this morning was click ignore. Dont see any of it. It might be because the profile has now been blocked so you now cant interact with it? (by clicking ignore etc)

Alternatively, i could buy the nano inlet. thats 14cm long. Does anyone know if the Borneo Wild inflow (not the nano size) can be cut down. It looks like there is a joint in the pipes just above where the holes are drilled. Is it a screw thread of just push fit? If its a push fit, i could...

oooh i love the idea of stainless, i was forever breaking the glass ones. The Natural Aquario ones look good and the design is interesting that they go into the cabinet. The inflows of the borneo wild and Aqua Rebell all look too tall for a small tank. being over 30cm high, they will virtually...

Hi all, New tank / cabinet and lighting is on order and im beginning to gather hardware. Having been away from the planted game im a bit out of touch. What glassware does everyone recommend for inlets and outlets. 16mm. Not looking to spend a fortune but something with decent build quality...

I have always used Tetratec filters. Predominantly the EX1200 but also had the EX700. Lovely filters and quiet. They are slightly prone to leaking, - i have had 3 leaks, but every time its been the O ring on the motorhead. I always have 2 spares of these at any one time and they are replaced...

I love this tank, its wicked. If it were me i would move the (moss?) from the front right of the tank and replace it with a low level plant. OR - trim the moss down and cover some pieces of low level rock / slate with it to create a mini carpet effect. would be proud of this mate. If its...

Really filling out now bud. Be time for a good trim and to scape it to a shape you like :) Glad you are learning alot!

Steve, why do you have so many shrimp? Just wondering!

Yeah agreed, i have been put off the floodlight options now, the spill was one of the reasons. In terms of having a light and dimming it, it just means we have more control over the lighting. Should we need to increase / decrease the lighting then its very easy to do. For example, when i go on...

perfect mate. so the consensus is they are pretty decent lights, just a little bit white if anything. so they are dimmable then via the power cable controller. will have a look for the best prices and a reputable seller.

Has anyone tried these? Looks ideal. wondering if its a knock off compared to the second link? A reputable seller? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chihiros-A-Series-Aquatic-Aquarium-High-Output-LED-Lamp-12-39W-Light-20-60cm-/221798548976?var=&hash=item33a43945f0:m:mTVb6Hg4-PiKMemvlcSBPYQ...

Ive had a good trawl and would deffinately need a dimable option. Over a tank of that size, i think im going to need two of whatever i get. Be it, led tiles floodlights. Its working out the easiest and most cost effective way of rigging something up.

Hi all, Beginning to plan a new tank and scape in my head and the lighting scene has changed so much since i left the hobby. I remembee it used to be arcadia luminaires and T5 tubes with everyone banging on about WPG! How times change :lol: I am undecided on the style of scape, but the tank...

Looking great, Give us some info on the hardware please? Tank size, lighting etc :)

Thanks for the advice :) If i were just moving the shrimp over to a new tank it would be a doddle as the filter, water and substrate would all move too, however to achieve what i want in my head, i am going to need more ferts and lighting and perhaps a decent nutrient rich substrate. All these...

I have been doing this for about 2 years. However every time i sell some, the colony starts breeding again. It seems to level out at the current amount as they are limited by space and food etc. Its very difficult to get rid of a large amount quickly. I havent been posting them, as its quite...

Good to see im correct with being wary of the change. Ive fancied changing the whole setup for a long time and selling the shrimp, but finding buyers for 200+ shrimp is impossible. Theres no way im giving them to the LFS to either kill or sell for £10 each!!

Its got to change, growth rates are far too slow, and i would like something more densely planted. I love crypts and the look they provide but fear they will struggle with the substrate

hi all, I have a CRS tank with a colony of about 200. +Ottos and Dwarf corries. They are housed in an old and tatty tank with a large anubias on wood, java fern and some crypts. I have been away from the 'proper' planted side for ages (some might remember me!) but i have the itch again. i...

sounds ideal. Hopefully the TT ex1200 wont turn it into a vortex. At the moment i can only get 2 spraybar sections on the outlet (tank is about 51cm wide i think) hopefully i might be able to squeze a third one in on a 60cm tank to spread the flow out a bit. (if not i will cut a bar down) Im...

Are the glass lids ok for letting the gasses out and air in? With shrimp i am wary of some climbing out, however with 200+ in the colony, i wont notice a few losses. regards, Nick

Hi Roy, im not convinced on the cabinets for them. the Walnut with black doors looks ok, but the others im not keen on. I suppose i could get the cabinet elseware and just buy the Aqua One opti tank. The silicone looks spot on!

Hi all, Im after an Optiwhite tank and stand for my CRS set-up. Theres over 200 shrimp in my tank, but my existing stuff looks very tatty and old now, and it doesnt complement the shrimp. Im am after something like the TMC signature 600 (with the grey cabinet) - looks ideal!! The tank needs to...

I change 200 litres in about an hour with a combination of pumps, its not the time factor that an indiviual water change takes, its physically not being at home to do them thay is my issue. I cannot guarantee that i will be home every weekend in order to do one (weekdays is a no go) and there...

Unfortunately i havent got the time to do them every week, hence why im considering actually being able to continue with the setup. I might just sell up and get a 60cm to do a W/C in 15 mins

Yeah i agree, i will have 1 of the 2 filters cycled and will intially only add a few dither fish. 450 litres is a reasonable size, but im thinkingni might have to do a 15% on one week just to tide me over. Because im dosing liquid co2 i can get away with better surface adjitation to keep the...

Im aiming for slow growth, Lighting will be 5x54w T5, but i will likely just use 2 bulbs. 108w over 110 US gallons. The depth of the tank makes it tricky to get lighting right. I have a pressurised co2 FE setup but would rather not use it, and save it for a 60cm setup at a later date. A...

Hi all, just wondering if my lifestyle will actually suit my tank setup before i go ahead. Always did 50% weekly on a high tec planted, but did 50% every 2 weeks on a malawi cichlid and it was ok. Im planning on a 450 litre low tech setup sparsley planted with liquid ferts and co2 - small...

Lovely looking tank bud! I do like the stained water appearance :) Well tonight i ordered 5l bag of nutri base 12.5kg unipac coarse fiji sand Litre of ferts Litre of co2 So the balls rolling now. It may not seem alot of substrate for a 4x2 ft base, but i plan to keep the substrate very...

Yeah i guess its quite scientific, especially EI to newbies Having been there and got the T-shirt years ago il be honest that ive forgotten alot of stuff but simple fert regiemes arent difficult. Im just after a very minimal approach. Lower light levels. Have a 4x54w T5 set up, but i can just...

lol i didnt mean for the plants, i meant in terms of cleanliness as mentioned in a previous comment. if i can keep a bare bottomed malawi tank clean, im sure a few community fish wont be an issue! to be honest, 'Ferts, ferts and ferts' is the wrong approach. im after a low tech approach with...