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Hello 👋, welcome to UKaps.

Plus 1. Big shoals of little fish gives great scale visually as well as being good for them. I think of lot of people arent bold enough to stick to that and want to try keeping lot of different species. Understandable, but I like your plan. Nice tank btw!

Welcome! :)

Welcome! :)

You're in good hands!

Started building a desktop nano; which will only be seen from the front and angled left. Plan is to be lighting planted, primarily using moss and some small epiphytes Anyway, lightings a little poor but you should be able to get the idea 👌 I wanted to have this “over hang concept”...

Welcome! Looking forward.

Ha this confused me for a bit too until I saw another thread with more context. Still, I think having more tanks is also a valid way to dilute your worries about algae in just one of them, even if it does potentially mean less time to combat algae in the first place...

Wise decision! I can't see that being a problem at all, it gives you the opportunity to have more of each of which I'm sure will gratify you and the fish and enable them to be in a more natural environment. I would give it a bit longer before introducing the Chilis until the plants have matured...

Hello 👋, welcome to UKaps.

Welcome!

The Calcutta cup has become less problematic for me ...

So I started painting this canvas with leftover plants from my iwagumi and other tanks, and I added my mixed neocaridina colony! I still need to add some riccardia and hc Cuba patches but it’s starting to please me. Daily dosing Ada brighty K, and brighty mineral, 1ml of each. Cheers!

Hello there!

Stunning as always CooKieS!

If you’re in Gorebridge you have the same water supply as me. It has basically nothing in it. Excellent starting point.

I've known about this site for some time, decided to finally to register given that's its the closest to me regarding Aquatic Plants etc. I don't do social media sites and the Irish Fish Keeper Society website is Archived now as far as I am aware. I've recently invested more time and money...

Onwards and upwards!

What was the joke then? As an Edinburgh resident with dual-nationality (the Calcutta cup is problematic for me) I am intrigued as to what could be so offensive. 😄

I did the opposite with my shrimp tank (I cleaned nothing!) and ended up with lots of cool stuff in my tank.

I understand that. The mess, gunk and complete saturation of gunk is pretty bad when doing it!

I have heard this tip many times and have ignored it just as much. It’s not that I don’t think it would be beneficial, I just don’t want to do it.

Remembering to scrub the caked on rich dirt on rocks you source from bypass/runoff canals before putting them in the aquarium is a great way to prevent algae issues. (speaking from recent experience)

That requires determination to learn or at least some sort of patience when preparing to look after an animal including premeditation. A good chunk of people who are starting fish keeping have done it impulsively to some extent and the actual reality is overwhelming. My local Fishkeeper employs...

I remember that video from aquarium coop, was one of the first wakeup calls to my old obsession with asserting strict advice about "cycling" for literally every aquarium problem. I'm embarrassed to admit how backwards my logic was before I got into more natural keeping.

Using a puppy training mat to protect the floor when doing water change or maintenance is more absorbent than towels. And it’s anti-slip too.

I do need to tidy up a bit. Managed to dump a load of soil adding some more CuC this morning.

Hi all, That is why we recommend <"plant and wait">, it isn't <"very exciting"> but it has <"very little chance of failure">. Point taken again, you could have a tank that was years old, but still not <"mature or stable">. cheers Darrel

Another pic

She arrived on Friday, and settled in very well. Has been hunting fruit flies this afternoon. And has decided to perch and moult right infron of me right now.

I'll get a journal going on it. You should do the same if you've not already started one?...

I have seen that picture before on a different forum, and I argued that the idea behind the advice itself is not inherently wrong, (since I personally introduce inhabitants the day I setup my aquariums) but the context is extremely lacking. Its hard to have success with your first aquarium...

Hi all, The limestone (CaCO3) you've added will add both dGH calcium (Ca++) and dKH (bicarbonate ions 2HCO3-) <"at a 1 : 1 ratio">. You are going to add the other essential nutrients for plant growth via the food you feed the fish <"and plants">. cheers Darrel

malaysian trumpet snails. they dig through the substrate and come out at night. very prolific.

That's somehow interesting, the GH of the tank water is 4-7 degrees, whereas the tap water results are <3 degrees. Just noticed @jamiep's tap water in Edinburgh, and his is GH 2-3. It is really that soft... I reckon the GH between 4 - 7 may come from the speckled sand or fluvial support. I rinse...

Hi all, I should have also said that we are<" just trying to help">. Personally I've been a <"truly terrible fish-keeper">, but I've <"found simple visual ways"> to mitigate for my lack of ability. If I'd been a better fish-keeper I might not have found it necessary. Cheers Darrel

MTS?

Hi all, New tank management is a <"bit like triage"> in first aid, there is no point in bandaging a finger, if the patients is bleeding out from a severed artery. <"TAN Ammonia will be less of an issue">, as long as the pH remains low, but nitrite (NO2-) is your potential severed artery...

Look forward to your results. I'm currently dark starting a small scaper 60 with nutibase capped with pool filter sand. I'm a novice and this is only my second tank and is also experimental. I will be running CO2 on this tank too! My first tank is low tech and all I used was Fluval stratum and I...

I would just add that at a pH of 6, Ammonia is likely less of a problem, and Nitrite will become very toxic at very small PPM levels. (It's reversed in pH7+ water). Out of interest, what is your GH of the current tank water? I ask as even bacteria needs some salts in the water, and there is no...

Nice build btw. That’s something I’d look into for a couple of tanks i currently have, the 45p stand i did recently was always only going to be temporary. I might pick your brains on this in the near future if that’s okay? James

Hi all. Found the site through googling for info on plant trimming etc....great source of information ! Just acquired a 145l setup to go with my (soon to be replaced hopefully) 250l 4' tank. Looking forward to watching it grow....hopefully avoiding the algae which has blighted my previous...

I fully agree with you on the dead tetra and the snail, which is why I thought about adding the limestone chunks (I look forward to your PM, by the way). I know that if there is an even hint of ammonia or nitrite, I'll do a change straightaway, but not because the KH has been catastrophically...

I'll PM reply properly this evening after work regarding various points. But I disagree with you about the water changes - currently you have too greater about of livestock for a new set up to cope with, which means catastrophically depleting the KH and not being able to deal with the...

Not after the FC Twente & Spurs matches! 😂😉

Thank you for your information - I will continue dosing the Epsom and Iron. I might change my WC to 25% twice a week as well. Ideally I would drip the new tank water back in gradually, but due to my setup I am not be able to get a container of water above the water level of the tank.

They are shrimp safe, but you ideally want to swap the TNC Iron out for TNC complete, and you are not dosing a decent number of the micro and macro nutrients require for plant growth. EDIT: Scratch that, just seen you are dosing TNC Complete already. Both are fine for shrimp. In a low tech...

Thanks @dw1305 for the feedback! I was actually thinking about floating plants to provide more shadowed area (some of the plants I currently have apparently do not need that much light). I have not seen much in my local shop, so I was going to try online (Dennerle or Aguarium Gardens?). Should...

Hello all, I have recently bought eight RCS for my tank which was planted c. 10 weeks ago (tank parameters below). I just have two questions that I was wondering if anyone could help me with: 1) Am I still ok to continue dosing my tank with Westlab Epsom Salts and TNC Iron (amounts listed...

The dark green would look great on the one wall behind my tanks,

Yes, Purpurea - iPhone autocorrect. Its a lovely looking crypt - available from Dennerle invitro.

Fair point, though I did say "harder tap water". My tap water is around 6dKH / 12dGH.

Chilean Myrtle I think. It grows like mad in the hedgerows round here. Have a couple in the garden and that sandy coloured bark and the twisty twigs is what has got me thinking it would look like in a tank.

Oh I was thinking sweet! It’s one of the first trees on the first page list. I haven’t tried the regular European horse chestnut, but I have tried the Indian horse chestnut (Aeschulus indica) which looks great with no aquatic problems. The leaves are a bit more substantial than the usual horse...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS. Honestly just ignore everything anybody else (away from this forum) tells you about ammonia, cycling and water testing. It is all wrong and we have actually <"talked to scientists"> involved in work on nitrification. The easiest option would be to get some filter...

I am writing the detailed readme file for the GitHub repo, I'll upload it in the coming days with code and detailed instructions. Feel free to use it, I would like to see someone else's data too, I hope you will share them. These are the sensors I used: CO2: SCD40 SCD41 gas sensor module...

Hi all, A thought, are we talking Chilean Myrtle (Amomyrtus luma)? The <"twisty tree with the lovely bark">? I think that should be fine, it is pretty close to Guava (Psidium). You would need the wood to be dead and "seasoned". Killarney Strawberry Tree <(Arbutus unedo)> might be another...

Hi all, Which one? "Sweet" (Castanea sativa) or "Horse" (Aesculus hippocastanum)? "Sweet" should be fine <"Ripe for Picking: a Guide to Collecting your own Bountiful Botanicals">, I'd be wary of "Horse". cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think that these are probably the "bacterial extracellular polysaccharides (EPS)", which have also "glued" the substrate together: - <"https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/clays/ccm/article-abstract/57/2/205/48559/BACTERIA-CLAY-INTERACTION-STRUCTURAL-CHANGES-IN">. cheers Darrel

If this has worked for me I would not have made this thread. 🤷🏼‍♀️ It may have contributed to the clearing, but either way it took three weeks.

I’ve done this, although I’d probably never do a clear backed tank again (my peninsula doesn’t count when hold me to statements like these…). But dark green specifically does create a beautiful additional dimension (while making it harder to read your drop checker). Sent from my iPhone...

@jamiep just realised you are based in Edinburgh. How's your tap water? I am based in Gorebridge and it is ridiculously soft.

This is the calcium carbonate rock I got. It is actually a pity I will break it into small bits to add one or two into the tank, but those snails need calcium... PS. Even the thumbnail is massive... better from the mobile phone than a laptop!

These look great, glad you were inspired! Looking online they don’t seem to be a poisonous plant, thank you for trying them out. I’ll add them to the first page list, they look fabulously tropical. Let us know how long they last. I think Myrtle leaves are worth trying as long as they’ve fallen...

Hi all, thanks for your reply and feedback! Yes, on hindsight I should not have added any snails at all, and perhaps hold adding the fish for another week (although the conditions for them seem fine, and I would prefer their natural ammonia instead of adding some additional supplements). Here...

Someone on here has tank in front of a green wall. Looks excellent. I can't remember who, but you may find it in the Journals forum. https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/a-pine-root-planted-randomness.71049/

After I have messed around with substrate/plants and water stays cloudy, first insert a layer on fine floss in your filter then use this and next morning crystal clear water. Job done. (oh remove floss as get blocked easily and reduces flow).

Ahhhh so it was you that nabbed that vuppa 😅! I went to buy it at the weekend, lo and behold, it’s gone 🤣🤣. Damn

Agree with @jamiep . I think the tank is not matured yet (unless a previously mature filter or LOTS of hardscape from a mature tank was used), which was why I was interested in the actual readings. Feed very, very lightly for the foreseeable future. Increase your aeration to as much as possible...

keep using the other fertiliser, but you dont need a lot, not the full suggested dose - your plant mass is very low currently. If you need to increase the water hardness, coral isnt the best option. One can buy powder to 'buffer' the water, increase the hardness. I can give you some. But first...

This is the reason I thought I'd ask first 😂 They're £15 on eBay but I'd need 2, so could almost buy a new pump for that, which is really wasteful. The fact it's not noisy does make me think it's not the diaphragm though. All my previous air pumps became horrendously noisy as the diaphragms...

Do stop using the Bio CO2 now. It is not CO2 booster, I don't know how they all get away with such marketing, but an glutaraldehyde, which can help with some algae. Start doing regular, large water changes for a few weeks while your tank gets established. At least 50% every 2 days for a week...

I use a simple piece of freezer paper taped to the back to create a frosted look to hide the tubes and wires while still allowing the tank to look “of a piece” with the rest of the room. Black looks good per se but I feel like it contrasts too sharply with the rest of my room which has very...

Oh hax47, do you take in account the temperature when calculating the exact absolute ppm of CO2 in the tank based on the CO2 sensor reading? You might be aware that cooler water takes up/contains more CO2 for the same partial pressure (same for oxygen btw) I have derived a negative exponential...

A few water changes will help, at least a couple a week should help when you increase plants

Thanks @bazz . I am treating it as "Morcheeba Stage" * at the moment as we get close to 2 weeks in. Water change cleared it up (started when moving to 3 times a week from daily) and keeping an eye. * "Part of the Process"

We have seen threads from people who have overdosed Tropica Nutrition Capsules and encountered the same problem and the general consensus was that it is caused by Ammonia, so I would imagine it is your substrate still leeching this. As mentioned above, surface skimming or agitation will solve...

Hello. What a great idea for a young person - getting them into this great hobby! Could you post the actual numbers for your water (Amonnia, Nitrite, pH, KH and GH) as it's hard to accurately determine from the screenshot? Be good to see how much alkalinity you do have.

There has to be a problem and they are quite basic so might be worth replacing the diaphragm, having said that they aren't cheap at 16 quid so would be an expensive trial and error if it's not the problem. Mine has been running trouble free non stop for four years now.

Hi, The Crypt Balansae (back left) looks healthy enough, the Sword plants should recover through producing new leaves if they have everything they need, you can remove the large outer dying leaves, that Java Fern wants removing from the substrate and attaching to hardscape along with the Anubias...

Looks like you have a mix of "high tech" and "low tech" plants.. I've seen some par numbers for the Hygger and some for equiv lights and could "guesstimate" you have fairly decent par at the subtrate. You don't quite make my "1 w per gallon" rule I impose on myself. ;) since you have about a...

So... A week ago we set an aquarium for the first time. The setup is a SuperFish Start 70 Tropical Kit we got from a well known shop in Edinburgh. We put speckled sand in the front area and the rest was covered with Fluval stratum to create some contrast. A big porous rock, a chunk of driftwood...

For historical reasons you should indicate what type of tap water you have for example I have kh 3 gh 6 and yes it grows well enough to post these but not as well with co2. https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/plant-pictures.24682/post-741239 but the problem with saying it grows well in tap...

More than enough I would guess. I have one Kessil A80 15W light for my set-up which is 18" from light to substrate running at 80% power and that's totally fine. Give it a go - I think you're in good shape.

"It was interpreted as being serious and hence moderated." Could you reassure the moderator in question of my deep and abiding love of Scotland and that in no way did I wish to offend either the wonderful people of Glasgow or Edinburgh. While I can, however, accept that the joke was...

I’ll be keeping my eyes open then, because I’m always interested in buying new stuff

I have lots of things for sale, none of them are listed officially yet though, need to get around to pricing and pics etc.

I’ll be damned! I did not notice that? You should put that on the sales page?

Oh i only just noticed that 😅. I must have “selective” reading? I know i got selective hearing, because my wife reminds me 🤣

This closely related species was sold to me as a. lineata (not the ones that will arrive in a few weeks - fingers crossed nothing goes wrong); i really like this fish but it is colourless at least in my environment. It also has a good personality - it doesn't run and hide like my a. wolli but it...

I have 'petchii' but it was too new to make a statement and yes spiralis tiger red is growing quite well without co2 or strong light. Never heard of X purpure - if that is purpurea it is described as some sort of hybrid. -- When i receive the 4 i did order i'll take a picture label the aquarium...

Post #4 above. @Jimmyc even liked it.

I mentioned it earlier in this thread but you maybe missed it :) Sounds like a plan, let us know how you get on!

So good news with this. The tank has cycled, but bad news is, I’ve taken it all down 🤣🤣 I wasn’t happy with it at all. So I’m going to try out a different approach with this one, I’ve contacted aquarium gardens in the hope they can help me out with this, and fingers crossed, it should be done by...

Damn! I didn’t see your sales post for the 100?I have been checking on the off chance someone is selling one. I don’t think the flow will be an issue, as I’ll be adding an inline diffuser and reducing the hose to 12/16 with probably a spin pipe too? The only reason i didn’t use my 250 was purely...

Hi everyone. I’m in the process of setting up a low tech 2foot cube. It’s going to have a capped soil substrate and I’ve just brought 2 hygger 999 22w lights. https://amzn.eu/3ZYFmZw I was just wondering if that was enough light being that it’s 2 foot deep? The plants I’m planning to put in...

You should have bought my filtosmart 100, the 200 is nearly as much flow as the Biomaster 250. Fingers crossed it works out though.

This. Already watched video, shame he lost some shrimp. Always wash first to be safe.

Welcome :)

Small update: Two of the Anubias have melt issues (one was rotting away to nothing including the rhizome - Other is 50/50. Also lost a Schismatoglottis prietoi which is a shame as I really liked the plant. I haven’t seen any algae - It’s been approaching just over 4.5 weeks including a 3 week...