Search results for query: *

Nice tank! I'd like a Dwarf Puffer or two as some point. Do you think a pair would be happy in there or do they need more territory?

I like the placement on the right, it would much better if it was twice the size though and it could get a bit lost when your plants get growing. Do you live near the countryside? If so have a drive out to nature's aquascaping store and fill your boots for free!

I don't think it looks particularly ugly - in some of the pics the composition of the hardscape looks fine.... but I'd make sure you use the same type of stones and the same type of wood. .....and more plants! That big piece of wood looks great btw, I'd use that as your starting point. Finally...

Really nice mate!

:lol: I can't argue with that, I kind of like it though. It's swept over like that because of the flow, I've tried adjusting it but it looks a bit static just sticking straight up. I've got some more moss growing on mesh around the back of the rocks that I'll use it once it's grown over the...

Thanks Alex, they could be, I don't know.

Cheers Iceman. To be honest I've already got more plants in there than I wanted, I was planning to take a break from planted tanks. I would have liked to do something more sophisticated with my rocks, but as I was able to lift out my old hardscape in one go I decided to set this one up without...

Here we go, I always say it but it actually looks quite nice in real life! (My rocks certainly don't look that dark normally) I'm adding CO2 and keeping my lights fairly bright at the moment but I'll dial them both down once I've got some nice bushy fissidens, it does look a bit sparse at the...

I always like the light coloured unipac sand, can't remember what it's called now though. I would try going lower tech with one Aquabar and easycarbo if I was you, it depends on your plants though I suppose. You don't need to complicate things too much to get a nice looking tank in my opinion...

Alright Deano? Long time no see. Congratulations on the daughter! That plan sounds alright to me, I'd be tempted to go with sand though if you're not bothering with a carpet. the easiest set up I had was this one. Mini Java ferns and mini anubias on rocks and wood, maybe a bit of moss and a...

It seems like ages since I posted. This weekend I had to strip this one down. It was growing ok but was suffering from that white fungus that grows on the wood, I'd been removing it for months in the hope it would sort itself out but it actually got worse and worse and in the end I got sick of...

Looking good Jonny! Really like your hardscape. :clap:

Looking great Jordi. I actually thought that Nano was about the size of a 60-P, I never realized it was so small! :lol: Unless you've got giant hands of course!

Thanks twg. They're 'Diamond head' neon tetras, my photos never capture just how shiny they are. I forgot to mention that I swapped for EI dosing to Tropica specialized ferts, my tank seems to be much healthier as a result. Cheers James

Cheers fellas!

I've added a bit of Blyxa Japonica around the wood, it looks like it's all melting at the moment but it's only been in for three days so hopefully it can adjust and thrive. The rest of my plants are doing excellent, touch wood, I've never had such a healthy and nicely growing tank. I'm thinking...

It's time for a quick update, sorry about the rubbish phone pics. Cyperus Helferi has been added at the back and it's growing like a weed. Ammania Bonsai of some sort has just been added (only a few days ago). Fissidens has been added to one of the branches, it will be added to more branches...

Cheers BC I might give that a go with one or two stems. :thumbup:

:clap: Better each time Lauris, I had a quick read through but I missed how you deliver your CO2? Cheers James

Looking good mate, nice and healthy.... long may it continue!

Thanks Darrel (& Mick) I'll try that, I'll let them get their roots established a bit first. :thumbup:

I forgot to ask.... Does higher light tend to make it grow more compact like the picture I posted further up? It looks very 'leggy' at the moment!

Thanks for all the replies. It seems to have perked up a bit after some time under the lights, it must have been packaged up for 7or 8 days in the post so it's no surpise it wasn't in the best condition. Can you clarify this please BC? (Thanks for the offer BTW, I'll see how they get on first...

I've tried 3 or 4 different ones and I've always found Fissidens the easiest / most successful and the nicest looking.

I suppose it does look like this .... (From CO2 Art) But I was hoping for this...... I didn't want the tropica 1,2 plants though, I've never had much luck with them and I find them too fiddly, I should have bought some off a UKAPS member I suppose. I wasn't confident enough of the facts...

Thanks Darrel, very insightful, I'll take a stem out and try it emersed. My conundrum is whether or not to complain to the seller, as it seems so difficult to get a definitive answer I suppose I'll just have to see how it grows.

Cheers Jose. Does anyone actually think it's Ammania sp Bonsai?

Thanks Ed, I was actually thinking it's B. Monnieri but it makes little difference as I actually ordered Ammania Bonsai. It's got the reddish stems but it doesn't look how I expected it to!

Could anyone help me identify this plant please? Thanks in advance James

Yeah, that's better! Looking good mate.

Welcome to UKAPS EvitaL, your tank looks fantastic. I suggest you hold fire on any new equipment until you've got 25 posts and can access the 'for sale' section. Clive - one of our experts - claims that sand is just as good a substrate as any other as long as you're adding ferts to the water...

Hi Rahms, It's just to give the flow a bit of a boost around the back. There might well be enough there already but I figured a little more can't hurt.

Thanks Mark, that's a kind offer..... I just gone and bought one though, :) that'll teach me to be so impatient.

I don't know if I like the sound of that Mark. :nailbiting: I was actually thinking about putting it lower as you describe.

I'd recommend the Chihiro as well. I've had a few dealings with the Hong Kong bloke on ebay who sells them and he's ok. You can see Iain is getting good results with his, it's also dimmable.

I get plenty of flow out of my Eheim 350 Exp. but it looks like my hardscape is slowing it down a bit round the back of the tank. (I've only got a ADA P60 BTW) I've been looking for a solution that has the least visual impact and have narrowed it down to these little tiddlers...

Looks fantastic mate, I'm sure it won't be last!

Hi Lauris, this is one of my favourite tanks on here at the moment. How are you getting on with the skimmer? I snapped mine at the right angle join trying to clean it. :thumbdown:. Do you mind if I just ask a couple of questions - I've just noticed that you've moved onto Tropica ferts, do you...

I'll be honest, I don't check my CO2 levels, I had a drop checker in there which was lime green before lights on but I've taken it out now, seems to be about 5 BPS going in there at the moment. Dosing is E.I. as per these instructions (but maybe a bit more generous) This is how the whole thing...

I thought my tank was progressing nicely but recently my Hydrocotyle T has started deteriorating. Can anyone help me out please? Cheers James

Hi Sbb I've got an Eheim 350 Experience (not quite the same I know) and I'm very happy with it, the flow seems just about right for my ADA 60-P. If I was you I'd consider the 350t instead, you don't want to under-do the flow.... I've had to upgrade a few times until I settled on the 350. I...

Hi Bertie, good to see you back, sorry to hear about you're health problems, I hope you have a speedy recovery. My previous set up was like what you're describing - very low light and very low maintainence, I had the same problems with the floating plants not liking the turbulence and couldn't...

Nice one Jim, it should look even better when the plants really start emerging.

Best of luck with it then George, hopefully we'll see you back soon.

Looking great Alex, those new tetras are really nice.

Looks great so far mate! Looking forward to seeing it planted.

Cheers Rahms, that because I keep fiddling with it and plucking out any long bits. It's actually matted into the moss so it's hard to see unless you're close up. I'll try and get some pics up in the next day or so. In the mean time I'll keep zapping it with easycarbo, sod the vallis.

Cheers mate. I haven't left it unchecked, most nights I spot a bit and pluck it out, the problem is it's growing in my moss so I can't get rid of it all without pulling out the moss (which hasn't fully established itself on my hardscape). To be honest I haven't been spot treating it as yet...

I've got algae problems..... I did mention that I got some sort of algae (probably hair algae) from day 1, I think it was in the moss that I bought. Anyway, there must be issues with my set up because it's been spreading. I've increased Co2 and get a lime green drop checker before lights on...

I need to replace my 16/22 filter hosing and I'm just wondering if anyone's bought any that's slightly more flexible /softer than the normal stuff you get? I've bought a fair bit of it over the years and some of it can be very hard and rigid making it difficult to line up my inlet and outlet...

Cheers Mr Teapot. Hopefully it'll look a bit better when it's grown in a bit.

Unfortunately I'm having a bit of an green hairy algae issue, I think it came in with the moss I bought as it was there from day one. I've been trying manual removal but it's been returning, I want to try easycarbo on it but I'm worried about the effect on my new Vallisneria nana I've got...

I've had an Eheim 350 experience on my 60-P for a year or so and I'm happy with it. If I was richer I would have got the one with the built in heater though.

They are fine with the heat, after all, the normal Aquasky stand is acrylic. I can make you a couple of those brackets if you want to go down that route.

Hi Jim, I laser cut some bracket thingies out of acrylic to suspend my old LED unit, it would work if you took the Aquasky out of it's acrylic mount. Mine look a bit crappy but you could make them look a bit smarter. I like the tank idea BTW, should be a winner!

Nice one Lindy, looking good, have you got any more pics of the different fish in there?

Yep, totally agree Chris.

Got some fish - 12 Diamond Neon Tetras. I went fish hunting at the weekend and after visiting everywhere in Shrewsbury I decided to try Ripples in Telford and these little beauties caught my eye (I actually had Emperors in mind). I had Neons last time and wanted something different but I'm very...

Hi Jim I actually bought two dimmers in the end, the Chihiro one you mentioned for £4ish and this one for £3. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261491259482?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT I'm using the £3 one at the moment and it works fine, I haven't had a chance to test...

No problem, I was looking for all this info. I've already ordered the first one but I might go and order Rahms' one as well, as it's only £3.

I was just on that shop looking for it, I couldn't find it on it's own though so thanks for the link.... I'm off to order it now. I just got myself a stainless steel CO2 diffuser from there last week, I'm waiting for it to arrive before I hook my CO2 up.

Cheers Jim I am a bit worried about the amount of light to be honest, I've been looking at dimming options but didn't know there was one specifically for this unit. I'll let you know if I find another solution.

Thanks for the replies. :) You could be right, I'm going to leave it for a few weeks before stocking though. I did a bit more work yesterday, unfortunately the scape isn't that photogenic though, it does have a nice sense of depth in real life. Anyway, I'm not quite finished yet but I'm...

That's a thing of beauty! I'm looking forward to seeing the frogs. :)

Hi Chris, I'm thinking of trying one of these dimmers (I've only got a cheapy Chihiro copy though), is it still working ok? The thing is the dimmer switch is more than I paid for my light! Is anyone using a cheaper one? Cheers James

The stem plants look a bit healthier George, hopefully they'll all take off soon.

Well it's looking a bit crappy at the moment but it's far from the finished hardscape, I decided to get the wood into the tank as it was getting a bit mouldy. This is just the main piece of wood, I still need to add more and decide on my rocks but I ran out of time. Edit: Sorry about the...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aquarium-Algae-Sterilizer-Controller-Chihiros-Doctor-For-Plants-Shrimp-Fish-Tank-/271722756673 I doubt the quality or functionality is great but I'd rather pay £20 for a placebo than £150 or whatever a Twinstar costs. :) Has anyone actually bought one of these? I'm...

Cheers, it's actually 15 pieces screwed together. Luckily I had quite a bit to choose from although I have been arranging it and re-arranging it for months! :crazy:

Yay, time for a new Journal. This time I've gone for manzanita wood and moss with a nice bright sandy substrate again. I was thinking about using 100% moss but I might try a few other plants here and there. I managed to get hold of a Chihiro 'Aquasky' very cheaply recently which seems...

Cheers fellas! I'm off to start a new journal. :)

Amazing..... I didn't realize how big it was until I just looked at page one. You've done an awesome job mate, the balance of nature vs aesthetics is spot on!

Looking good!

After a year of having a carefree tank I'm having a few issues and it always looks a bit grubby, even a few days after cleaning. So tonight I'll be moving my fish into their temporary home and stripping everything out. I spent most of the weekend staring at bits manzanita and I've got five pots...

I found it to be a decent light for the money, I never tried dimming it though. I wouldn't class it as 'high' light although, like Carlo I grew a nice hairgrass carpet with it. It's probably better for a low tech set up.

My current set up must have been running for a year now and my Microsorum 'mini' has been thriving, I've divided and replanted many times. Before I went on holiday a few weeks ago I noticed a bit on melt and removed the affected leaves, when I got back however 50% of them were dying. I've...

Alright Ashley, just got back from abroad so apologies for the late reply. I've PMed you.

Hi GDM I was happy with it but it was tricky to keep clean. You'll notice I'm referring to it in the past tense..... I snapped it while cleaning it. :(. I've recently got hold of a stainless steel set which has almost exactly the same surface skimmer, I'm thinking of selling them though...

Looks nice Rob. I hope the transition goes ok, I'd never have the patience for a dry start!

:lol: Sorry mate, I can't deal with inches, all those fractions do my head in. Looking forward to seeing the stand. I can't remember what sizes I've done now :rolleyes:. Did you find the right one, if not I can change one easily enough. Cheers James

Looks nice mate. What sort are the air plants and how do they like getting their feet wet? Cheers

Here you are mate, make sure you check all the measurements first! Happy Christmas!

Sorry kzeller, I'm a bit confused now. Those measurements don't match your previous ones... and neither match the size of an ADA tank. Do you mean a 45-P? I'm not being awkward but I'm a bit confused and I don't want to draw it wrong for you. Can you give me the measurements in millimeters...

I had an Endler that came with some Kribs, he went back to the shop though.... true story.

Either... or both. :)

Hi Kzeller I'll have a go at that for you mate, if possible I'll get it done early next week other wise it might be after Christmas (I have to draw them at work). I'll try to do it ASAP though. Edit: Can you put the h x w x d measurements on there please

Nice one Akbar, I got a free one too, from The Green Machine... happy days.

I personally find rocks fairly high maintenence, especially cleaning them - I am quite lazy though :thumbup:. My tank is exactly as Lindy described, it's very useful to be able o lift out your whole hardscape, especially if you want to tie bit onto it etc. I'm surprised you don't need a sand vac...

Yeah, it's just to stop my floating plants from swirling about, they don't like it. The problem is the tube somehow reacts with my water and gives off a white slime!

I still haven't got round to taking this one down, unfortunately my new scaping materials are all out in the shed so I haven't had a chance to sort them out with these dark evenings. I've got a massive box of Manzi to use for my next scape rather than the wood above, it's just a case of finding...

Looks great mate, the wood fits perfectly!

Hi Karthik, I like your new hardscape, it will only get better as your plants grow in. I'd think a nice external filter would improve it as well!

Hi Lauris, this looks fantastic mate. I'm not normally a fan of 'paths' as they can look a bit artificial, but your's looks really nice, I think it's the way you've placed your rocks, it looks really natural. :clap:

Looking good Alex!

Perspex has better light transmission than glass (over 90%) so you should be ok mate. Cheers James

No problem :). As you can see on the drawing, I put an extra panel in the middle of the cabinet for extra support for the larger tanks. If I was making one of these I would probably put some additional batons in there as well for more strength.

Hi Adrian, That looks fantastic mate, very healthy indeed. :clap:

Wow, that looks like a jungle judging from the second photo :clap:, I think everyone will agree we need a full tank shot though! That filter is disgusting by the way :lol:.

Here are the drawings, hopefully all the measurements are correct, I'd just re-check them if I was you though!