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Looking good! You could add some small detailing stones/pebbles near the footprint of the hardscape :)

That’s reassuring to hear 😊 thank you. Otos are my absolute favourite too, I love them and my Cory cats.

I didn't mean to be the voice of doom regarding your tank, in all honesty I'd probably have done the same as you. I'm so glad all the otos have reappeared, they're one of my favourites!

Noon will know whether it was the additional HCL or Cleated iron that helped. Either ways, enjoy the success, I struggle with Mac and Wallichii.

I’ve just done a 95% water change and added a capatta leaf - some clearer pics of my tank post water change. I will pick up some more plants. I do still have all 12 otos thankfully - they were hiding in the plants at the back whereas normally I see them all about so that concerns me too. Fingers...

"platinum white anubia" grown emersed:

Finally I've managed to keep my rotala wallichii alive! using HCL to bring the DKH down to 1.5 helped a lot. Your page about using HCL was really useful @Andy Pierce 👍 Will post photos after few weeks! I must mention that I've started dosing DTPA Fe on top of EDTA while adding HCL, so probably...

Maybe "sterilising" is too strong a word, I simply want to eliminate the possibility of snails/snail eggs/algae. Most websites are dot com, so I presume they talk about U.S gallons, which for the recommended dosage means the mix is stronger than it would be with imperial gallons. What they...

I asked my suplier to make a picture of the light speading at a distance of 15 cm. It looks about 40 cm wide. I'm hoping that the internal reflection (at a certain angle, about 45 degree, the light will not go out of the aquarium but reflects inside) will provide enough light for lighting up the...

Thanks @Andy Pierce & @LMuhlen for suggesting using an acid, all my fish are dead! (kidding :D) I've tried dosing 40ml of 0.5M HCL to my 125 roma for about 10 days and now my DKH is down to 1.5!! this has saved me a lot of water changes, and made my rotala macarandra & Wallichi looks much...

It will work fine straight out of the box, but nice to know you have the option in the future. Let us know how you get on. If you get the new filter run it along with the old one for a while until it is established. To kick start the foam on the new filter you could rinse the foam of the old...

Oase do make a controller for the lighting. https://www.oase.com/gb-en/products-a-z/family/f/ir-control-set.1000720516.html

Thinking of ordering one for my Oase Styleline, as although plants are growing reasonably well, so is the algae🙁 The Oase lights are not controllable and I miss not being able to dim etc.

I’m fully expecting this sadly 😔 but if I can save the resilient ones at least that would be something. I don’t want to give up but I do feel so disheartened. I will continue to try and do the right thing though. Just hard to know what that is when you can’t physically see the issue 😔

Thanks for this I’ll do that when I get home. I’ve got some water wisteria in there and I’ve just added some red root floaters too but I’ll see if I can pick up some more plants tomorrow. I’ve got a few tiny swords planted which should grow up too but I agree it is looking sparse so thanks for...

Thanks for this - do you think a large water change is the best decision at this stage?

Looks pretty good to me!

Well, I watched the video and as I expected really. Good for new buyers, but for existing users just buy the concave plate & updated intake tube.

Has everyone who went filled in the Google Docs feedback form.

Not what you wanted to see this morning I'm sure and, despite feeling responsible, you are trying your best to resolve the issues so don't give up yet. I agree with @Bradders that it appears to be some kind of bacterial issue & also regarding large water changes. It is quite possible you will...

In the process of setting up my first aqua scape after doing lots of research and I’m enjoying how it’s going just looking for opinions or tips that could possibly make it better before I go as far as adding water.

I forget that I did start this journal, so may aswell update it 😎 I am plumbing in today, very confidently drilled straight through a floor joist 🫣 and I don’t have enough bits to get it finished today (ffs! Haha) My stocking plans have changed, some combination of the following but not...

If you want ”sterile” plants you’ll need to get the 1-2 grow pots, most places sell them. I cannot recommend a diluted hydrogen peroxide solution to clean a plant - it does too much harm to the plant itself. You going to dip your arm in this solution before you do any tank maintenance? Sorry...

Ah, ok - that’s similar but the ones in the shop have bubbles coming out. I quite like your idea but I would have no idea how or where to get the right things!

I havent done this method myself, but there is some logic behind it when everything else fails. We have all been there. It was not deliberate, and the fact you are on here shows your commitment to care. Try not to beat yourself up too much.

I meant something like this where you could run the top part of the filter as a powerhead atop a tube and a block of foam (I think they are out of stock, it is just for visualising the idea): HMF Biological Sponge Block Filter for Power Head 10x10x30cm - Envobee Shrimp . I don't know if this is...

in view of the very conflicting advice on line about using a water/hydrogen peroxide solution to sterilise plant, can someone please give me the definitive mix of 3% hydrogen peroxide to Imperial gallon, the time plants should be kept in the solution, and whether the roots should be immersed or...

Thanks. When you say modify, do you mean so it looks like those air filters I have seen? The only decent shop near me has these in every tank.

@Bradders I think I’m going to give a large water change a go. At this point it’s worth giving it a go I’d say, in the hopes it reduces the bad bacteria. The fish don’t have any sign of epistylis now and I’d rather get the bad bacteria out than leave the medicine in (I think). Or I may think on...

I don't see why not. The tank is fairly small and well planted. The carbon and snake oil in the cartridges of the original filter are not needed and may even be detrimental in some situations. If you are so inclined you can probably even mod it to get rid of the casing over the foam and use a...

I am gutted too but it’s my fault and you have done all you can to help so I really appreciate it.

Hi all, If it does? It is your ammonia source - <"Aquarium Soil - a perfect, complete bottom layer for aquariums - Tropica Aquarium Plants">. It isn't a product I've ever used. If it is an ammonia source? I would want to deplete those ammonia levels as rapidly as possible. cheers Darrel

Won't my Tropica Aqua Soil released Ammonia during the first couple of weeks?

Hi all, It is more likely to be an issue with the test kits, rather than a genuine reading. You don't have an ammonium (NH4) source, and during microbial nitrification your fixed nitrogen ion goes from <"NH3/4 > N02- > N03-">, or possibly directly from NH3/4 > N03- via <"COMAMMOX Nitrospira">...

Well, sadly, we were unable to help before more deaths. So don't thank me! I am gutted. Funny you should mention that. The other manual way what some people (I have not done this first hand) have done is very frequent 95% water changes (daily) to reduce the bacterial load. Bacteria multiply...

That’s great, thanks both. So that Allpondssolution filter with just the black foam but a higher flow rate will be perfectly fine?

I hope your expectations are correct! 🙂.. I'm just trying to manage my expectations!

Yes absolutely. I think I’m just going to have to keep an eye on it and follow through with the rest of the fungal treatment as that has been effective. I could try and move my ottos to my shrimp tank but as you say, it’s hard to know which fish are affected and also my shrimp tank is only...

Totally agree with the above. Foam is an excellent media for bio-filtration which in combo with the substrate and plants in the tank is more than adequate. The cartridges that come with your original filter are borderline useless tat that is designed to block up after a certain amount of use...

They are all fine, and even slight deviations from these will not cause the rapid deaths we have seen. What I suspect is that this is treating the secondary infections we have witnessed. Not the bacterial side of things that I suspect could also be the primary. It is very sad and frustrating...

@Bradders I agree with you that it’s likely a bacterial issue. I wish I had bought a good filter at the start instead of that awful swell one. I am between a rock and a hard place because my months old filter in my shrimp tank was really helping (I think) but I don’t want to risk my shrimp...

Only one sponge is not an issue. Your tank is well planted and all the heavy lifting of filtration will be done by your plants.

My expectations are sky-high! Don't destroy them! 😀

@Bradders yes that’s right - the green neons were the ones that had epistylis and the diamond head tetras were fine. Then this morning, 5 diamond head tetras dead and only one left, looking lost without his group 😔 still got the 6 green neons. I think I wouldn’t have been so surprised if it was...

My thought process here is that we have a bacterial disease within the fish with a secondary disease like epistylis. Bacterial diseases are fast killers in fish (compared to Ich or ammonia poisoning etc) so its a primary and secondary thing. The symptom of fast fish deaths (including some with...

I wouldn't get too excited, I think the main changes are concave and intake tube updates which you can already upgrade existing models with. Happy to be proven wrong though as the more upgrades the better! Whilst Oase said that there was a new impellor on the 850 and that I could add it to...

That is very unfortunate news. So these are different fish from the ones recovering that had visible epistles? Also, what did you do yesterday? Just so I understand all the activity you did (and approx time) to get a feel?

Hi all, I think they should breed OK in softer water. At the moment I only have a population in one of the tanks without any fish, which also doesn't have any BBA, but it does have lots of snails etc The "problem" in the other tanks is that they are <"cat nip to most fish"> and are always...

446mm length X 295mm height X 246mm depth!

@Bradders @The Miniaturist I’m sorry to say but I spoke too soon 😭 I came down this morning to 5 dead diamond head tetras out of the 6 I had. They had been absolutely fine and hadn’t had epistylis (that I could see). I’ve checked the parameters- all fine. Temp is 23 degrees. I haven’t done a...

Since I have moved 850 head onto 250 bucket my filter performance feels like BioMaster 3++ in terms of flow increase and noise reduction. Air woosh is gone too! 😍

Darrel got it right here; you do not need a filter in a planted tank but only if you do not have livestock, livestock and the feeding of which is a nightmare to balance. The more you feed the harder it becomes. Fish poop isn’t the issue as far as I can tell, it’s the food that doesn’t get eaten...

@George Farmer has got his hands on a Biomaster 2 (quite jealous!) and will be doing a review. It's a scheduled one, so it won't be available until 14:00 BST. However, I think it's well worth a look.

Stunning as always Ady

Everything does (and will do) look beautiful. Designer setup, for sure!

Thanks all, as long as it's normal the Tenellum is slower I'm not worried. Easy enough to thin out some Quadricostatus runners as and when. Got some Cory fry in the tank at the minute which appreciate the cover so will leave it alone for a bit

Can't wait to see 2.0 mate, great concept for the journal continuation.

I'm so pleased your fish seem to have turned the corner. 🤗 It's horrible & stressful watching things go downhill, so much for this being a relaxing hobby! I'm sure @Bradders will be able to guide you on filter media to keep things running smoothly. My tanks all have small internal filters but I...

This is the only filter I have found that would fit with a higher flow rate but as I mention, it only has room for one sponge; https://www.allpondsolutions.co.uk/products/600lh-600if This is why I’m wondering if adding another filter (same as the one currently in the tank) would be the best...

Do these help. The filter currently has some black sponge (3.5x4.5x7cm) and two of these basket type things. I cut the hood to accommodate the led strip as the two in the hood aren’t that bright. I cut the corner so that I could easily remove the filter - it’s quite a poor design really.

Same here. Using mine to get a 'feel' of where I am on my new tank. My fish only (well, fish with two plants!) never gets tested.

@BarrWarr , can you send some pictures from the top? Trying to get a view on what piping could work that also works with the lid constraints. I looked at the current filter specs, which look to have a 30PPI section and some carbon - assuming the same size as the 30PPI foam. The flow is not...

Thank you. I’m just a bit wary of the filtration/flow as, for example, the poop from the hitchhiker snails (man, they produce a lot!) is sitting on the leaves of plants because of no flow down there. I guess I could remove some of the snails (which are mostly bladder, apart from one assassin...

Hello, thought I would update this journal as the 75p journey continues…. The initial heavily NA styled scape and planting had great longevity, but the time came to scratch an itch that I’d had for some time. I wanted to try and replant the original scape in a heavily contrasting way to that of...

Lovely looking tank. I suggest you leave everything as it is for a while. In short, introduce some stability and re assess after a few months. Take the time to enjoy your accomplishment and observe your new glass box of nature.

Anyone know what size it is?

I use them on new setups and then…..don’t touch them 🙂

Probs the same one I visited…wasn’t impressed. HA is class and the staff are very helpful.

Another ‘problem’ I have; In another post on here, I ask about using an external canister filter as I don’t feel the filter that came with the tank is that good (it’s a CF80 Ciano). Having looked into the suggestions, anything external just won’t work without modifying the hood or permanently...

O dear! Double trouble. No need to apologise, and sorry to hear that no improvement has occurred. Shout if you need to bounce any ideas.

Tried it in my shallow and got rid of it all a wee while after….jesus it doesn’t hang about in taking over.

I think it probably is swim bladder, which from my minimal understanding can happen for different reasons. Sadly I have no space for a quarantine at the moment. Sorry @Bradders I have been dealing with my dog’s diarrhoea for most of the day so was slow in reply :dead:…I checked on him and I...

I've had a minor issue with BBA recently after I replaced my filter media and have been doing some very casual experiments recently after I read that hyalella azteca scuds will readily consume it. I can confirm they do. This particular species of scud can't sustain themselves in my tank water...

Grows like a weed…

@Bradders @The Miniaturist yes thank you to you too @The Miniaturist - I’m not very good with tagging on here! I am so grateful for the correct diagnosis and your help. I definitely will. Fingers crossed the stability continues to improve, I don’t want to go through that again!

@FrozenShivers - hows it going? Has there been any improvement?

@Goldie Prawn - I so am glad that that things continue to stabilise! What a great way to start the weekend, indeed! (Thanks to @The Miniaturist who also spotted the epistylis). Once things get even more stable, come back here, and I am sure we can continue to help improve stability.

Quadricostatus grows much, much faster in my experience

I've got some frogbit and some floating water sprite in there already, but I can add some more stuff. Good idea.

@Bradders - I thought I’d lead in to the weekend with some good news - my 6 remaining green neons now have significantly less white patches on them 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 maybe just a dot here or there but I’ve treated them again today with the malachite green. One is still looking pretty uncomfortable as...

Are these in a bare tank ? If you've got some java moss , or hornwort, or similar throw some into the quarantine tank to give the fish some cover . I would get this with killies all the time until I started giving them some cover .

So the strike has been confirmed and will start the 28th October. And will run every Monday and Friday for 2 hrs per day. All satellite offices and head office are taking part. With some of the satellite offices shutting completely. As all staff have said they will strike in those locations...

I add it as I'm filling the bucket so it mixes with the water going in :)

Even PF prohibit Live Fish or Fish Fry. These fish retailers are not doing right by the fish really. I hope yours gets there safely. Its going to need some R&R.

Just had a thought, maybe its Parcel Force (technically part of the umbrella of Royal Mail?) Dunno, will wait and see

Wow. Their business and personal postal restrictions list says no live animals.

My understanding of it is that you can but with clearly defined labelling (Live Fish, this way up, handle with care etc)

Hi all, I didn't think you could <"send fish via Royal Mail">? Maybe it is different for businesses? Whenever I'm going to post some "tank janitors" to people, when the post-mistress / master asks me "what is in it" I always reply <"moss">, <"which is true, but not necessarily the whole answer...

That's a great idea, I have arranged to work from home on that day so can watch the front and back door with anticipation (my house has a weird set up for addresses) #edit i have had plenty of deliveries mainly coral with Royal mail so not overly concerned, however i will be watching that...

Amano shrimp are the ones that are likely to escape.

If I am getting live creatures from Royal Mail I always stick a bit of A4 paper on the door with a note saying something like "Dear Postie, I am in and the package you're delivering today has live fish in it, please ring the doorbell!", because I've had them just shove a "we tried but you...

Seems that way

They are sending fish by Royal Mail?!?!

Ok so deliver day is apparently going to be Wednesday

I have yet to see a shrimp climb out of one of my open tanks.

You can use an online tool like jpegcompressor.com to easily compress and convert your .jpeg images to .jpg before uploading them to the forum. It’s quick and doesn’t require a computer. This should resolve the issue of the forum not accepting .jpeg files directly.

Thanks. Yes, the Limnophila is growing unbelievably well and I have already got half a dozen new plants growing well from cuttings. Due to modifying the hood to accommodate better lighting, there are several gaps - are the shrimp likely to escape?

Hi all, It isn't really me, I knew that <"scientists"> are primarily interested in <"dissolved oxygen">, either its <"effect on the biota"> (in relatively clean water) or just getting <"as much of it as possible"> into <"polluted water">. I'm a great believer in a picture being worth a...

Thanks. I guess it’s all practice and getting to know the right balances etc so I think what I’ll do is fill my 30ltr bucket with 10% hot and then check the temp once the cold is added. When I add the dechorinator, does is need mixing via air stone/whisk? Sorry for all the questions!

Yep, that's exactly what I do :) I literally pour maybe 10% hot water + 90% cold in a 50L water change. I think it's better to add colder water (less than tank temp) and let it warm up in the tank, rather than add water that's too hot. In my experience that seems to stress the fish out, whereas...