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The wood came from an aquarium shop. I think it was sold as octopus wood, by superfish if I recall correctly. It's actually a lot of different pieces glued together to make one, they had quite some laying around actually. Not cheap though, total price was about 75 euro, guess you pay extra for...

Quick phone upload as I scaped and filled the tank today. It'll be running dark for a few weeks to get everything up and running. Right before planting I'm gonna add some more detail materials like pebbles and roots. I have room to raise the substrate levels in the back some more but first...

Any material that you transfer between tanks might (will?) have algea spores and therefore is a risk. But even without transfer you'll get algea anyway. So I would say the benefits of getting the bacteria in there outweigh the algea risk. Jurijs latest video covers running a tank dark for a few...

Oh wow ok, that was kinda unexpected :) I'm indeed going to add more detail but I figured that's probably better to do when in it's final form, just in case I might not be able to exactly reproduce it.

Wow awesome work! If you could post some close up photos of the details (and maybe the process) I'd really appreciate that. Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

Okay so as promised I started over and this was the end result of the first attempt: Additionally I'm going to create a more traditional centralised island-style scape with the same materials, just to be sure that I'm not making things too hard on myself by trying these more complex...

Very nice tank! Livestock leaving it though is less nice. In my experience it happens sometimes, I've had a few over a few years, but definitely not on this scale. So that would indicate that your livestock is desperately trying to find a better place to live. Couple of things you could easily...

Sorry, I edited this reply and ended up deleting it entirely. Anyway, the stretch of it was that I'd like to understand what is 'uninteresting' about the rocks in the different set-up, as it's exactly the same rocks just tilted a little different. So if I can better understand this that would...

Yeah I agree, probably mixing hairgrass with HC and on the slopes go a bit bigger to maybe staurogyne repens or something like that. But with the addition of a path from back to front. Just not sure yet on how I would separate the path from the carpet but when I have some more stones I might...

Okay so I redid the LH side, resulting in this: Judging the photo's I now see how the RH side could be even higher. I'm going to make an LFS trip to get some more volcano and a few extra stones. But I'm liking the overall idea right now. The pieces of wood tied together draw the eye in...

I completely agree and please be as straightforward as you can be with any advise. I'm Dutch, we are masters of being blunt or as we call it: honest ;) Yesterday evening I redid the RH side which is now much more what I want it to be. The wood there has gone and I found a nice configuration to...

Shifted things around again. Redid the LH stone and indeed: this works quite well breaking with the lines in the wood. I narrowed the pathway and raised the soil level on the RH side. I think the back right needs to be raised more (working on that) and I wonder whether I should have the pathway...

Quick reply with some phone pics after rearranging the right hand side a bit, the LH side remains as is for now, though I'm curious about the idea of breaking the wood line by tilting the large rock the other way, maybe switching it with the one on the left. I know I should raise the soil...

Thanks for the feedback Keith, I'm just going to try out a few things, that what the box is for. If you could upload a sketch that would be awesome, not sure what you need Photo bucket for I always just upload to the forum :)

Allrighty, I will try that. I already found the substrate level quite high to be honest. Higher up and the wood will definitely raise above the water level, but that might be nice. I'll try your suggestions tomorrow and follow-up with more photo's. Thanks everyone!

Haha, literally everyone who's been in our living room since I had the box there made a similar comment :P Yes I do think that needs fixing indeed. Which corner are you referring to when pointing it? I had it pointing in its current direction to align with the wood behind it.

I'm in the process of setting up a new tank, 60x35x35 (beta optiwhite). I've found some pieces of wood that I love and I'm now fiddling around with dragon stone trying to achieve something with potential. So basically I'd just like some feedback. From the disclaimers section: the cardboard box...

Yeah the amount of empty back space is the same thing that was hindering me as well. I made a cardboard mock-up tank to get an idea and it just doesn't look right. I'm not too worried about the cabinet itself btw. It's Ikea but the top and buttom is pretty sturdy and thicker than usual (besta...

I'm looking for a new 60cm tank, part of a living room make over. The cabinet on which the tank will be placed is 60cm wide and 40cm deep, it'll be positioned against the wall. First stop were the ADA tanks, which brings me to the 60 models, with 60P being the default go-to model I guess. I...

An update on this thread was long overdue. Since the last picture I struggled quite a bit with diatoms. I'm still not entirely sure why these came back even after the tank was already way past cycling. I lost some of the plants because of this, they were absolutely covered. So I swapped some...

Wow guys. I expected a few responses but not this :) Great to see how this topic does spawn a bit of discussion and hopefully raises "awareness" (I dislike the term but don't know a better alternative). To be clear: I'm definitely not out to judge people with what is certainly a nice hobby. I...

Just to be clear; I don't mind at all either. This is how markets work. I simply hope that people are aware and don't blindly assume that what's in the video is the only way to go. Keep on scaping! ;)

Maybe it's just me, I don't know... But I seem to be in constant struggle with myself over having an aquarium. On the one side, there's the joy of having a cool hobby and the great feeling that setting up a nicely functioning tank will bring. It feels powerful being able to control a little...

That seems to be the issue with a lot of these aquascaper channels on YT, and it's a problem with YT in general. The more popular channels over time all get sponsored by brands who want their stuff promoted. And even when it's not a logo in the video, it's equipment the vloggers get, t-shirts...

Here's another picture. And as I posted it, I noticed the filter floss being ugly in the background, ah well.. I will most likely get rid of it soon. I have no clue where the blue velvet shrimp have gone, there's lots of places to hide so maybe that's it because I rarely see them. I'll see...

I'd say most of them are placed vertically with the top sticking out of the water so you can adjust the temperate when needed. Or am I missing something?

Here's a small update. Quickly took some phone pics, I'll get out my camera this weekend for some better pictures hopefully. The livestock ended up being: 5x Amano shrimp 8x Blue velvet shrimp 10x Rasbora Galaxy Third picture kinda shows the fish, but they're really small and still quite shy...

That is one stunning tank you've got, congratulations. I can completely see how one would be sitting in front of it for hours just looking at everything that's going on in there. Very curious to see how it grows in. Slightly off topic: that glassware inlet I've seen a couple of times now, does...

Thanks for the comments. I placed it where I wanted it to find out that it only sticks in the soil about 1 centimeter. So I decided not to care, it'll be fine like this. Thanks for the tips.

I was wondering if any of you have their heater sticking in the soil a bit. I'd like to place my heater alongside the intake of my filter, but it's just a little bit too long do properly do that. If I stick it into the soil just a little bit (2 or 3 cm at most, like 5% of the total length) it...

Yes, I've been doing 50 - 70% water changes every 3 days these last few weeks. I can do another one on Friday or Saturday before heading out to my LFS. Just tested everything, got a test set with individual tests for pH, KH, GH, NH, NO2, NO3 and PO4. The drop-type ones (by lack of a better...

Everything was new or at least dry so no living bacteria. Had some ceramic material and purigen from my old tank (dry as well). I'm pretty sure the LFS guy can probably supply me with some brown filter foam though. Would it be OK to get that along with the fish? I was really looking forward to...

Hmmm I didn't know that. You think the ottos might not make it in a 3 week old setup? I'll also check with LFS.

Fun how a scape matures on you without noticing. Compared to the pic above it seems stuff is growing, I didn't really notice that in real life so far. I still very much love the scape! Do have the need for a cleaning crew, especially for the wood where that ugly slimy stuff keeps forming. I...

Ok, here's an update pic I took after todays maintenance. Note that I've done nothing to the wood yet, been busy around house too much. I'm gonna let the plants settle in and get some algae crew in after two more weeks. But for now I still like it :) Looks better in real life than on pictures...

Here's a quick phone photo, I don't have a proper one yet. Had to weigh down the top wood cause it still floated. Pleased with the scape for now but I'll probably tweak the wood a bit indeed. I'll post a more extensive update after Christmas :) Verstuurd vanaf mijn ONEPLUS A3003 met Tapatalk

Transferred the scape to the tank today. Still not completely happy but getting there... first doing some hardware stuff before continuing the scaping process.

Hi Keith, the back plastic is the height of the thank. I've filled the tank today to check the entire set-up for leaks. Hooked up the filter and stuff, all running nicely. Found out the new piece of spiderwood floats, probably need to tie that down (I have some moss cotton I might be able to use...

Haha cool, but the acronyms list doesn't actually list DW, room for improvement :) After a visit to LFS I picked up some more rock and wood to work with. And after a pretty long session I ended up with this: Since one piece of wood is used and the other is not, there's obvious color...

Yes, that point has been made :) I will raise the back of the cardboard box and post new photos accordingly, no worries. But plan on doing that when I also have new rocks, probably somewhere over the weekend. What does "DW" stand for?

Ok. Attempt number two. I swapped things around a little bit, actually flipping over the wood so it's now upside down. Gives an interesting effect imho and I also like the way the stones now fit a bit better. The big one is still in, but it seems less dramatic to me at the moment, curious what...

Yeah you're probably right, this was just the length of the cardboard. And the actual tank is right next to it so it's quite easy to check the two thirds ratio :) But I'll see if I can stick on some more cardboard for the complete picture.:thumbup:

Thanks everyone! The center stone indeed had me busy for a while. I don't have that much options to replace it, so that's going to be a trip to my LFS I guess :). I can try swapping it, but it'll probably won't improve. It's fairly large so I can push it under the soil some more but that might...

Hi all! It's been a while since I last browsed this forum. Back then I owned a 240 liters Eheim tank. I moved to a new house, spent quite a while working on the house itself and thus sold my tank. But lately the itch came back and I had just too much goodies lying around from back when I did...

Here's an update! Unfortunately selling my current apartment means I need to clear out my tank and I've decided to sell it to buy a new one for the new house later in 2017. Although that doesn't necessarily means that development on Submerged will stop, it'll definitely mean that it will slow...

Hi @kadoxu, sorry for not replying any sooner. I'm in the midst of buying a new house so haven't got that much spare time. Oh and I got to present the Submerged solution on a Dutch IT conference last week, awesome stuff :) Yup that should work just fine. I have not investigated whether there...

Awesome! Would be very cool to see whether we can get a second one running :) I'll try my best to update the hardware list a bit and get some pictures in there. That's about right I think. Of course it also depends on what you're planning to monitor but this closely resembles the setup I have...

Small update.. the experience of editing the LED program on the mobile app has improved a bit. There's now a button to test the program, which will sync the current program from the mobile app with the device and run it. The test run plays back the program in about a minute so you can easily see...

You can do pretty much any thing you like. If you program a sunrise, you can choose with which color and for how long. The same for sunset. There's no real need to pre-program such sequences. Thanks! With this generic LED controller, you can attach pretty much any LED fixture as long as there's...

Awesome news for all you LED fans out there! The published source code as of now supports controlling a simple 4 channel (RGBW) Ledenet controller! The mobile app also has a rudimentary way of programming it, I'd love some feedback on that. What I implemented is the following: You add a "point...

Sooner then expected, I made a small breakthrough in controlling LEDs. I found a controller which can be controlled via TCP which allows me to quite easily send RGB+W values via WiFi to this controller. So there are no technical limitations any more for implementing lighting, but I want to be...

Here's another update, mainly focused on fixing some bugs and getting the experience more ready to get other users on board. I've published some documentation on how to get started at http://jsiegmund.github.io/submerged/. For now, getting started still requires some manual work deploying the...

Another update! Done a major overhaul of the back-end. Where previously there wasn't much flexibility, there now is lots. I've introduced a generic module based on Firmata which can read all sorts of sensors based on the configuration. That reduces the need for preconfigured modules although...

That's indeed a nice piece of acrylic! Too bad there's not a version with four a bit smaller containers (like 4*0.75l or something). Seller link for those interested.

Despite efforts to chill the water a bit I lost one filter shrimp yesterday. Since it's just that one I cannot be completely sure it was due to the heat, but they're probably a bit more sensitive then the other livestock I've got. It was the last of his kind in my tank any way so guess he or she...

It probably still consumes a tiny little bit of power but I don't think you'll notice it on the bill :) Sent from my ONE A2003 using Tapatalk

Next up: out-of-stock-detection! I've ordered some cheap-ass float sensors off aliexpress and found a 500ml bottle in which they fit (actually the problem was finding bottles with a large enough opening). The rest is pretty simple; drill a hole, fit the sensor, hook it up to the cabinet module...

Yeah that's true. I haven't had any severe heat issues just yet, with room temp at 30 degrees my tank usually gets to 28 max. I only use the surface agitation to drop the temp, haven't got any fans. Heat compensation is built in on the Atlas pH module but I must admit I don't use it yet...

If you find one, let me know ;) Nice. I already have a 4ch dosing pump myself so this one is not very high on the list. Measuring the stock fluids running out is :) Last addition to the project is logging. The mobile app now supports entering simple log messages which you can use to keep...

Thanks! I do have a dosing pump system already so doing one via this system is not very high on my priority list to be honest, but I'll surely put it on there!

I understand what you're saying, but this is still a DIY style project. It's feasible to create neat looking production grade modules, but I don't have the expertise to do so and at the moment the goal is not to sell stuff. So should anyone be interested in making these, that's perfectly fine...

That is already in place. That screenshot of the dashboard; it's running on a small LCD connected to the Pi which is next to my tank. Mine isn't touch enabled but you can use a touch screen and simply tap the relays to switch them on or off. So you either use the app or the touch screen. No need...

At the moment it requires Windows 10 IoT, but Microsoft is launching .NET core soon which runs on Linux and Mac as well. The current app is already UWP (Universal Windows Platform) so should port over without too much effort. Might depend on some of the API's becoming available for the other...

No problem, I totally get that. The hard part of setting it up at the moment is the hardware, some soldering is required ;) I guess in the end we might be able to do ready made modules which you only need to register and plug into power, but for now that's a strecht too far.

Hi all, These last few months I've been working on a pet project which I've called "Submerged". I wanted to introduce it here and maybe some of you might be interested in trying it out or even contributing it. At the moment, submerged supports two kinds of modules: a sensor module for...

Cool stuff. By the way: I though the exact same thing until I started measuring. The pH graph is interesting to see and forced me to make some improvements to my CO2 reactor which is now more efficient and comes on at the right time. A drop checker is a good indication, but is behind on...

Hi Mark, cool project! There's a couple of these projects out there and I find it very interesting to see how others are solving similar problems :) I'm using Arduino nanos from a cost and usability perspective. The Pi can act as a gateway for multiple Arduino modules, connecting them via...

? I don't really need an LCD and stuff, I already have a display hooked up for my app displaying current water parameters. I've ordered two of the mentioned sensors from China, along with 4 swivels for installation. Will see how we go from there when the stuff arrives :)

I thought I had updated this thread more often but it seems I didn't. So here's a well overdue update then. Lets starft with an overview: As you might see when you compare photos, I switched lighting. I got rid of the old blue-ish LEDs I had and replaced then with a much more natural...

Hmmm alright, so those swivels I could use with my current set-up without having to change too much. Interesting! I think I'll go with that and wait with the PVC until I move to a different house, seems like the perfect opportunity to rethink some stuff.

Thanks! That's useful info and I guess I need to explore the world of PVC a bit more. At the moment I've got the plumbing as follows: intake is connected to FX5 using Fluval ribbed hose. FX5 outflow is connected to an AM1000 CO2 reactor using flexible (well somewhat at least) eheim hose. From...

For my tank-automation project I'm doing (see https://github.com/jsiegmund/submerged) I'm looking into keeping track of flow. I found the following very affordable sensor: The diameter is 1", which is the same as the diameter on my FX5 filter. But I have no clue on how to best fit the hose...

Finally! Time for an update with pictures! :) That's the tank as it sits now, nice and healthy! And here's one with the additional T5 running: The camera makes the difference more dramatic than it is in real life, but still; it's considerably more lumens hitting the plants. I've got new LED...

Another quick update. I've increased the lighting a bit more by running my normal T5's which I still have in the tanks hood for 4 hours during the time the LED lighting is on. Reasoning behind this is that I'm not sure whether the LED's (SMD 5050) are sufficient to have a good reach / spectrum...

Ok here's a quick update. First of all thanks again for all of the answers, very much appreciated! First the good news: no real big outbreak of BBA (yet)! Which doesn't mean it has disappeared or stopped growing (unfortunately), but there hasn't been a real big boom which I kind of was...

Yes, we'll see indeed :) In the meantime I'd like to ask some more questions if that's ok. You mention that reducing the photoperiod will help to battle the BBA problem whilst increasing intensity will help the plants. The latter I get, but why does a shorter photoperiod help with BBA? Why are...

Ok, so I've changed the photoperiod to 14:30 - 20:00 to give this a try. That makes 5.5 hours to start with. I've also boosted the intensity for this period. According I've adapted the CO2 to now go on @ 11:30 (3 hours prior) and shut off @ 18:00 (two hours prior). I'll monitor the graphs to see...

Great stuff @Manuel Arias ! I must admit that I might not understand everything 100%, but it does help a lot to have an idea what's going on. I understand the need for pictures, so here are some. Quality isn't the best but I it should do. Some holes in leaves, not sure whether the fish are...

Update: strange, I did another kH check just now and that one also read 5. So that would indicate the kH doesn't change at all during the day. I did change the times so it now comes on @ 09:00 (3 hours before lights) and shuts off @ 18:00 (2,5 hours before lights off). Let's see what happens...

@EdwinK that was already in my 2nd post ;) It's about 7 before lights on (see below). @EnderUK so what did you swap the AM1000 for? An in-tank diffusor? I can't really imagine a dedicated filter or pump would solve anything. The throughput I have now is already pretty high. If you get a chamber...

Thanks for your reaction Manu. I would suspect my pH to level off at about 7.5 as that is also what my tap water is (and I do my water changes primarily with tap water). I have an Akadama soil, but the pH lowering qualities of that are probably gone by now (last for a year or so I believe)...

Sorry about that, that's the "in development" part I guess. Makes sense to me but maybe not to others. - CO2 on @ 11:00 - Lights on @ 12:00 (30 min ramp) - CO2 off @ 20:00 - Lights off @ 20:30 (30 min ramp) The horizontal axis "Hours" is a 24 hour range (so 09 = 09:00, 15 = 15:00, etc.). So...

My own developed app :) still in development, who's interested can take a look at my blog for a how-to series (blog.repsaj.nl, developer skills required). Maybe in due time I'll create a service so everyone can hook-up :) Sent from my ONE A2003 using Tapatalk

I'm looking for some tips on what I can do to improve my CO2 graph. I've read quite some threads on the subject and the common goal seems to be to acheive a 1 point drop before lights on. Now since yesterday I have an automated set-up reading and storing my temperature and pH values every 30...

Well not everything was doing great (the overexposed photo compensates...) but in general I had good growth indeed. Akadama I have for soil was in good share still so I didn't bother taking that out at this time. But indeed, if you have so much work to do then you're much better off taking...

@Nelson thanks! @Wisey only have an overexposed crappy phone pic, but this is what I started with: I didn't take the water or fish out for this change. I first got some plants out and used a hose to suck out some of the soil (mainly the right part where the sand now is). Ran lights on...

Hmmm, guess it's been almost a year that I've posted an update to this tank. Well this last weekend I decided to rescape the entire thing and I must say that I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. Whereas my previous "scape" was maybe not that eye-catching, I think this new one is far more...

For now, today seems to be the last day of 30+ for us, so I'm not worrying anymore. Room temp is 28 at the moment, keeping the curtains closed all day helps to keep the heat out. Tank is doing fine at 26. Thanks for all the tips :)

I popped in some bottles today to give it a try, 2x 1.5L on 240L tank. Didn't do a thing if I'm to believe my thermometer. I'll obviously have done something, at least keep it stable. Ah well, for the moment it's stable at 26 so that's good enough.

Cool, good job! Got any pics?

Okay, thanks guys. I've increased the dose to match, should be plenty of food now. Let's see what happens :)

Hi all, Finally summer has hit and temperatures the upcoming days seem to be rocketing. Where I live they are even expecting 37-38 degrees Celcius for the weekend (not something regular in Holland). So I was wondering whether I should take any precautions for my tank, or that I don't need to...

Hi all, I'd like to check with you guys whether the calculations I'm doing are ok or not. At the moment, I'm using Kramerdrak as fertiliser instead of a self made EI mix. The why behind this is pretty simple: I still have two bags of it lying around and it would be a waste of money to just...

All of them very pretty. Especially like the second + last one. That dark blue background is awesome!

At full power somewhat larger bubbles managed to escape. It's ok now with the coarse filter foam, I think probably the same as it would be with the poof balls now that I understand what those are :) I'll leave it alone for now, maybe try something on the next clean.

Well the less bubbles, the less gas you're wasting. And I need to add quite some gas to get to good levels, so I'd like to have it as optimal as possible. And I have no real good way to turn down the flow, FX5 is just blasting through. The only thing I could do is close the hose connector off a...

Ok so today I tried replacing the bottom layer of foam by a fine filter pad from Fluval. Worked for keeping the bubbles in, but also reduced flow quite dramatically. So that's gone already, I'll try a medium one in the future sometime. Also made the airline a bit shorter so the airstone is a bit...

Not all, but the ones that make it through are really tiny. Their visible, but only barely. I'm considering replacing the bottom layer of foam with a medium one, I don't expect any bubbles to go through then but it might hinder flow a bit too much when it gets clogged up after a while. The...

Amazing, I didn't even know that was possible. Do you need to be careful which plants you pick? And how do you battle algae 'cause I assume you have little flow in your tank, only that from the air bubbling up? Anyway, nice work and a lot more sustainable than most tanks here (mine included).

Wow great! So am I wrong or are you saying you're also lacking a filter? No lights and no filter?