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Plants and time...

This looks great and an outdoor tropical pond is something I considered in the summer. What type of insulation have you used?

Love your choice of wood. Looks great. Not sure of the wisdom of API start, without something to start the cycle. Some use ammonia, I favour plants.

This is off the scale! Looks stunning and super natural! Congrats!

My two Korat kittens - Yoshi & Yuki :)

A few weeks ago I was looking at a friends 75 gallon planted tank and then went down a rabbit hole on YouTube/these forums and it has really sparked an interest. Anyways, this is my first time setting up a fish tank/trying aquascaping. The tank is an ADA 45p (45x27x30). Initially I was going...

...issue. I'm going back to 15%. I believe the plants take a long time to "get going" and if driven hard by crazy levels of photons, they just don't efficiently process this and the tank goes to s**t :D Lower light, but enough to "drive" the plant and a longer photoperiod are where it is at for me!

Lovely scape mate 👌🏻

Just a quick reminder to any members new or old that this Sub Forum exists with some truly exceptional Aquarium Journals. I would recommend getting yourself a cuppa and taking the time to explore these journals, appreciating what was achieved, often at a time when much of the excepted...

Hi, I like these! Only issue I've found using them is that I think they can obstruct surface agitation if you have low flow. probably best to use them to contain floating plants, rather than create pockets of negative space.

The recent cold spell we had prompted me to add a cover to the Pond. I used plastic trunking for construction rather than treated timber to prevent leaching of chemicals into the water and rot. Added a pic of the cover and also a graph showing pond temperature prior to and after adding the...

I like this idea! I use a palette knife. I don't know if you've ever used a safety razor, but to me it's a similar concept - go slow, keep blade close to the glass/skin at a small angle, don't go for jolting sideways movement. The benefit of palette knives/credit cards is that they flex, so you...

Hi all, I think that is true of all <"slow growing plants">. I'm pretty sure you are right. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I did <"Kitchen nano 35L">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, @Notimetoulouse when did you start using the PhosGuard <"Seachem - PhosGuard">? Was it before plant growth declined? I've found that a few times with tap water be have sent me and I've tested. Phosphate (PO4---) is both <"relatively easy to test for, and is added to ~all UK tap water">...

Oh its always a leaking tank for me - always. I've woke in the middle of the night plenty of times, and rushed downstairs to check a tank wasn't leaking everywhere.

Tankxiety is real 😅 I’m yet to dream-nightmare about my fishes. My worst nightmare is always about my indoor cat escaping and me madly chasing after him 😭 Perhaps it just means how much we care for our pets ❤️

Saw her catch a fly just now. Oh and name chosen Sakura

You are probably right. I think I got lulled to thinking this strain/batch was a sure fire thing in my water after having them and moving them about in my tanks for years. I will surely be more careful moving forward.

I don't know quite how to describe it but the scale reminds me of a windswept highland being grazed by cow-sized shrimp - it's a weirdly serene, absurdist picture 😅 weirdly enough, the cat might be adding some fertiliser too - @dw1305 found with a bowl of plants left on the counter and a...

How fast Anubias spread depends on the variety and whether you have CO2. In my CO2 tank, the large leaf varieties grow fastest requiring pruning 3 to 4 times yearly to control size. The median leaf “nana”varieties grow half as fast, requiring pruning no more than twice a year. The “nano...

So I flooded the tank on 9/5 and planned to do a dark start of some length. Since I’m using a somewhat experimental substrate, I thought it would be beneficial to let the most labile organic matter break down and give the developing microbiome a head start. And I immediately ran into trouble...

Thanks! I got mine thirdhand and already pretty scratched up, but I can't complain - the discount was well worth it. it was a ridiculous late night FB marketplace purchase, and much too big for my tiny flat 😂

Just realised @dw1305 never posted a photo of our cat (you may know her as the bad-tempered light diffuser), Minnie. She is a little elderly lady now, but she's still pretty lively. Whenever I go home she burrows under the covers with me (cute, but god forbid you move). She is a rescue, and...

Low on the Biomaster and very low on the Eheim at present.

Rays tank was probably a years growth, buce are pretty speedy compared to anubias even without co2 as long as you trim to get 'ramification?'. If you have a look at my shrimp tank journal you can see the change after a year or so and then up to 5 years, it's pretty dense now and cut out the...

Hi there, thanks for sharing that! Yeah, I tried to remove it but a bit half heartedly, I think as I’d bought the tank new I was a bit worried I’d scratch or worse, crack it or otherwise compromise it! You are clearly made of sterner stuff so well done!! I have to say that as a filter it’s...

Not all my fish dreams are nightmares! Occasionally I go to cool fish stores. I don't remember too much, mostly just images from a few different dreams, but I do remember there was one that had a cool restricted area that you had to be "in the know" about and climb a ladder up to a hatch to get...

Hi @Simmo, great to see the tank in its many iterations! I also have a juwel lido and managed to remove the internal filter (with some effort) using an oil paint palette knife to cut through the silicone. I did this before I scaped. It was a bit of a risky process as I was worried about exerting...

Yes it is. I’m using Anubias bonsai which is branching a lot. The bigger it gets the quicker it will spread. It did spread over much bigger space in recent months than it did over first year. I used to have Anubias barteri in my previous tank and it grew into quite long rhizome over 1 year and...

You heard it here first

I don’t think you can have too much air in the water.

Hi, Some more patches of mosses and hc were added along with more shrimps. Cheers

Hello hello Thank you so much for your very detailed reply! I really appreciate it. I currently has an air bubbler, I wonder if that cause too much air in the water? should i stop that?

@hypnogogia I did wonder about that 😅 if I'm being honest, my therapist and I have given up interpreting my fish-related dreams... Turns out it really is just tank anxiety (tankxiety?), and not pointing towards a deeper psychological issue 😂

Some video VIDEO

This thread is going to be a psychologist’s dream!

@palcente what a good assistant you have :) not my cat, but here's my partners; fluffy mike. He is a bedraggled, elderly man, named after rapper Killer Mike & "sergeant fluffy" (the younger brother's suggestion).

Hi all, I realised after a post on my journal that lots of us seem to have unique and terrifying fish-related dreams. I thought I'd compile them here and see if anyone has any others to add... Partly so we can all see our dreams are very ridiculous, but also so I don't inadvertently trip across...

Right, I think I'm making a thread of fishkeeping dreams 😂 didn't realise there were so many different flavours of nightmare fuel! Edit: thread here :)

My aquatic stress dream is that I neglected a tank for some period of time and, while everything is still alive, the tank is also now inhabited by a very large eel like creature that scares the hell out of me. I can’t get the eel out so the dream never resolves, just remains high anxiety until I...

Yeah, I'm not sure about that. The old aquarium is moderately stocked, so expect the ammonia source to be relatively abundant. My thinking is that a good amount of Ammonia means that there need to be enough Nitrite critters to address. I am scratching my head as to why Nitrite has not gone...

The tank is looking great. I imagine people will say otherwise, but in my limited experience shrimp are all about stability. You can have them in a bowl that looks like soup and have no issues. Personally, I'd leave it for a couple of months with a new scape, especially if you're doing big water...

Channoides are absolutely gorgeous! I also like the look of Betta imbellis and smaragdina, although I've never kept them. I know bettas like a lot of live food, so that's something to consider. It's also definitely more ethical to go for UK bred stock, as opposed to wild caught fish - a lot of...

Very. I've started prepping plants and am doing a total water change as soon as the kids get to bed. I don't think I'll get it all planted tonight, but I'm going to try to get all the rooted plants in with the water drained, refill, and then suffer through the stem plants tomorrow... probably...

The cavalry has arrived! I got the Dennerle plants and they are now in the tank. The tetras were out calmly looking at what was going on (I could hear something like "this guy has no clue" from their side). So... Very happy with the limnobium laevigatum, long roots and relatively easy to...

How close are you to planting? 😊

I really recommend it for anyone having a hard time keeping track of everything. This started as a drawn layout, but it's much harder to move things around and it's more or less to scale. I mean, you could make them to scale, but I didn't want to spend too long on it. Lol, it only took a few...

Looking forward!

I'm certainly no expert and stand to be corrected but just throwing it out there, is it possible that in the existing aquarium that once the bacteria/archaea had built up enough to deal with the high level of Nitrite at initial start-up would they then not reduce in number along with the...

I thought that, but there isn't much of a high ammonia source. No inhabitants, just aquairium soil (Tropica) and plants.

@ElleDee, Can't wait to see how it evolves. I've been procrastinating as well for a long time about rebuilding/replanting one of my tanks (150 L). There are just too much to do in real life at the moment, but I hope to get around to it later in the fall before the Minnesota winter sets in so...

Perhaps your’re producing nitrites as fast as they’re being broken down…

Sorry to hear about your shrimp, but if it's any consolation your tank is looking great!

Thanks Michael, I appreciate the advice and reassurance. I think I'm quite worrisome about it as this is my first experience of having livestock in the aquarium.

Get this all the time, though usually I have somehow acquired some huge tanks filled with all sorts. Totally genuinely, last night for some reason there were also several monkeys living in the emersed parts who I had neglected. They all escaped into the house and were quite bitey trying to get...

If your tap water is very low on Mg (especially relative to Calcium), the addition of Epsom salt will be beneficial for both shrimps and plants. Your shrimps needs Magnesium to support building their exoskeleton (Mg helps absorption of Ca). And of course, the plants appreciate the Mg as well...

What sort of bioload do you have in your aquarium?

I wanted to recharge the Purigen on the Eheim so I took this picture of the Siporax in it yesterday. Still quite white after 9 months. I fitted a sponge on the inlet pipe of the Biomaster a few months back so I may start cleaning the Siporax in it in batches to see what happens.

Thank you, so much for the drawing makes it so much easier to visualise it.

Darrel, this is great advice and I thank you for it. The phosguard is in because I bought an API phosphate test kit that had it right in the upper echelon blue of the card spectrum. It's out now!

That is what I call a propper planning phase!! So organised @ElleDee !

Here is an interesting question to ponder., @dw1305 et al. I am cycling my newly planted aquarium. It's been 15 days, and there is no ammonia, but nitrites are spiking between 1-2ppm. It's going through its process. Now, in the new aquarium, with the aquarium soil and CO2 injection, the pH is...

Inventory of items found beneath cabinet after 1 year: Two wooden beads One duplo door One small bamboo trumpeter One '3' One wooden police department front Two hairbands (one pink, one black) One childs bracelet One invitro pot lid 1.5 crayons One hair clip (gold coloured) Small blob of...

I love that paper plan

...probably makes it more unlikely that his full research findings will appear in a scientific journal. Hagen already supply a "microbial supplement"*, so it will be interesting to see if it has a "new formula" re-launch in the future <"A7595 - Nutrafin Cycle - Biological Aquarium Supplement -...

Hi all, Could be either. I've only kept "Standard" Cherry Shrimps, where even the females weren't particularly red. cheers Darrel

Thank you for putting my mind at ease! I'm afraid I couldn't discern a distinct difference, colour-wise. They were smaller compared to some of the others, though I'm not sure if that means they're juvenile or male. My concern was the sudden bout of activity after adding the iron; they seem to...

Hi all, They definitely do. One of @Roland's tanks - <"My thoughts so far">. cheers Darrel

Amazing, thank you for the in-depth reply :D

Hi all, No, definitely not, Cherry Shrimps like hard water and actively growing plants are the best thing you can have to retain water quality. Males tend to be fairly active, they will be less intensely coloured than the females? Personally I wouldn't have any concerns about adding any of...

Hi all, I think probably 50 ppm NO3- is more likely. In hard water the pH is likely to be ~pH 8, purely for <"reasons of chemistry">. Take it out, basically all plants (including algae) <"need phosphate (PO4---)">. Seachem's advertising <"is often misleading">. I'm guessing that this is, at...

Thanks for getting back so quickly. Yes I'm fertilising with TNC complete (I also have Aquadesign Carbo but deign to use it after seeing some reviews). I top up with tap water stabilised with Seachem Prime. I've just done another strip test which is showing 75 hardness and 80 carbonate and...

So I have just added a reduced amount of TNC Iron (0.6ml) and one or two shrimp seem to be swimming vigorously around the tank practically doing laps, and sometimes swimming up against the glass. I havent observed this behaviour before and it's been happening for the last 15-20 mins. However...

Y’all, it's finally here! After years of planning and procrastination, I finally have started my 4ft tank! Every single step has taken way longer than planned, but I think I have done enough now that I can actually start a journal. It’s About Time! Tank: 120x50x50cm, 79 gallons/300 L Hydra...

Thank you for the info. I was adding the Iron and Epsom salts for the benefit of my plants, due to the hardness of London water. Would you say that, on balance, the potential benefits of these two supplements for the plants are outweighed by the potential harm it could cause the shrimp?

Thanks Meg, it’s good to know that your tank has recovered well to the point they are breeding! I’m definitely guilty for spooking the fishes while vacuuming the soil and lifting the logs in search of possible corpses. Then they all come out spooked and annoyed 🙈😬 I’ve read all Darren’s links...

A couple of things spring to mind - nitrate/nitrite both at 0 is not good. Plants need nitrate to grow. Are you fertilising? Also, you mention evaporation and topping up. What water do you use to top up? If your hard topwater, then gH and KH will slowly be rising in your tank. For more help...

Thank you very much! I have texted him, his plants looks just amazing!

Member @Roland has grown this sp! You could send him a message to determine what parameters he used and what fertilizers. https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/plant-pictures.24682/page-6#post-658548

Hi everyone, first ask for advice. As you can see from my profile, I have a Fluval Roma 125l planted tank, Seachem Tidal 75 and a chinese UV filter (which is handling algae growth perfectly). The tank has grown a little untidy but with perfect water parameters. Harlequin Rasboras, Chili...

Thank you for the insight once again, Darrel. I do have an overdose of activated carbon in the filter ATM. Quick web search is saying that would remove pesticides. I am no expert in water chemistry and never will be, so idk. I believe Finnish water supply plants do not use pesticides in tap...

Your doubling the photons in an enclosed space/area. The angle overlap is additive. But in some areas it just spreads the light out. Keep in mind that glass reflections keep a lot of the light in the tank. Of course you also need to hang the lights at the correct height for the beam angle...

Hi all, I'm sorry to hear that. Because of the water change and speed of death, I would suspect it might be a trace of pesticide in the water change water? I say this because <"some pesticides"> combine a very low vertebrate toxicity with being deadly to crustaceans. When I lived in Bath...

I’ve been keeping isopods for a little while now, and it’s been such a fun hobby! I started with just a couple of species I found on a site called Postpods, which has isopods for sale in the UK. They really do add a unique vibe to my little ecosystem. At first, I was worried about how to set up...

For a month I dosed only APT Zero, but it did not help at all.

Hi all, Same for me. I think he is very good on <"microbial (biological) filtration">. Because I'm a great believer in a picture being <"worth a thousand words"> ......... <"Stocking of an Aquarium">. cheers Darrel

I was just about to post an extract about pore clogging from AS! I know some think Dave is dubious about his plant views, but I think he is pretty spot-on with most aspects of technology-based filtration.

Starting a journal is a good idea as @Onoma1 has suggested. As far as the hexagon shape is concerned I think they tend to be on the tall side for their footprint. I scribbled an idea out rather than trying to describe things in words! Along the lines of a tall piece of bogwood with anubias...

I can see this in my future! the Corys are quickly becoming my absolute favourite - they're so personable and silly to watch. I was worried about sand sticking to my Corys slime coats, however upon closer inspection & research - I think they're just incredibly messy eaters 😂 I feel you on this...

Hi all, Same for me. They are my <"filter of choice"> and always have been <"My venture into my new 760 ltr planted tank ."> - <"Ammonia test kit and Urea">. I think brown is good, mine is the same as @Aqua sobriquet 's "white", but I'm assuming that is just because I don't have a big enough...

Hi Marcia, I've basically been doing the same as you - I added more plants, fed more live food and improved filtration. I also removed the oak leaves I'd added that still had green patches (doh!) after reading Rosie's post on beautiful botanicals. I've never kept Otto's myself but @dw1305 has...

The rotala look good, but sometimes they can be affected by over-fertilization!

Rotala florida

More

Rotala red and rotala green at the back

Oh really? Thanks Darrel, I didn’t know that. There was a big Oto who was kind of the leader, all the others followed him. Then he got ill (at same time as Meg’s Cory - so I was following this tread closely) and he quickly passed away and now the others started hiding more. I’m feeding them...

https://www.flowgrow.de/db/aquaticplants/ammannia-pedicellata "N. pedicellata as well as other Nesaea spp. are suspected to react susceptible to elevated doses of potassium"

Can you upload an image of the Rotala?