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Hi everyone! Thought I’d post a pic of some new additions to my tank - some lovely ember tetras. They’ve settle in very happily with the neon rasboras and seem to love frolicking in the plants. The greenery is looking much healthier with the addition of the CO2. Think I’ve got the levels right...

Thanks for asking🙏 I’ve been a bit too embarrassed to put any pics up recently. to improve the plant health I decided to inject CO2. But I haven’t managed to get the balance quite right with light/nutrients too and have had BBA outbreak as a result 😳 Anyway here’s an honest picture- The plants...

Very pleased with my new Bucephalandra Biblis, a birthday treat from Aquarium Gardens. love the wavy leaves and deep colour. Thanks @Siege for help with the choosing. It’s already looking settled in.

For fellow enviro-geeks a link to an article about fashion combatting the climate crisis with algae coated textiles. If it’s the same kind currently coating my stem plants I must be off-setting at least a long haul fligtht. BBA raincoat anyone...

Tank is clean and clear again after my rookie mistake with the Purigen. As proof here’s a close up of my Bumblebee Clithon (the wee bee) happily hoovering the Anubias Nana.

Do you know I think it actually is - waters already starting to look clearer. Maybe I’ve moppped up my own mistake? The moss still seems to have a light covering of the white dust. Shame it’s a month late, it actually looks quite Christmasy:playful:

Lol. I hope so - foggier than the backdrop in a Bonnie Tyler video

Wishing I’d not been so excited to try my new seachem purigen and read the ‘rinse first’ instructions before adding it to my filter:hilarious:

you are famous now! Congratulations, I love your tank. The design and the health of the plants are amazing.

Really beautiful tank! :)

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you’ve all had lots of time over the holidays to enjoy your tanks. A quick photo of my tank to show how the new plants are settling. It’s slow progress with it being non co2 and I don’t think I’m getting the feeding completely right. But the fish and snails look...

thank you

Over the last few weeks I’ve done a gentle rescape to make room for extra carpeting plants (Sagittaria subulata and helanthium tenellum green). I removed a large rock that I thought looked a bit clumsy and added some Anubias nana bonsai and hydrophila pinnatifida (hopefully eventually to grow...

hello

Great tanks news this week. Big Shelley my favourite shrimp has had A LOT of babies!:dummy::dummy::dummy::dummy::dummy::dummy::dummy::dummy:They’re ridiculously cute and they’re everywhere. I’ve rescued 5 from the pre filter already!

Jaw dropping tank. Congratulations on your award!

They climb out? Mine would be foolish to try that at the moment ...all that algae, its a snail all-you-can-eat buffet in there!

Thanks so much for this. I’ve messed up a bit this week but I’m still really enjoying it, just trying to learn as I go. The sick fish was a low point I’ve got to be honest, just in case it was something I did. But I do think they may have been poorly before I brought them home as one was...

Haha. I think I’d better learn how to grow my plants a bit better first, I’m bad enough at growing them slowly :lol: That frogbit is a godsend though, thank you....it’s had a lot of babies so at least one thing is thriving! Not one to give in though, I’m still loving it. I’ve taken your...

Looks really cool. Love it! Ive used a couple of these ikea fittings to grow terrariums for about 6 months now and they're actually pretty good. The plants always stay green and healthy looking and they don’t run too hot being aluminium bodied. Congratulations on your project.

After spending the best part of the evening trawling the ‘algae’ ‘ferts’ and ‘lighting’ forums (is it a bit sad that I enjoyed it?) I’ve come to the conclusion I’ve made a rookie mistake with my my lighting that has caused my algae. I have a twinstar 450SA which is sexy and I love but I think...

Tank is looking fantastic. Such a transformation from the beginning! Congratulations. It’s so cool how everyone helps you on this site, stops you being discouraged when you have a problem or might need some help.

Very happy news from the Rasboras after a touch and go week in the tank. I’ve had no more losses and everyone is looking MUCH more healthy. I’ve been dosing Easy Life Voogle for a full course, having dosed Seachem Paraguard for few days. I stopped the Paraguard after losing a cherry shrimp on...

Have a look at <"Bugs you might encounter">. Usually, unless it is physically attached to the fish, bugs that you can see in the tank aren't parasites Thanks! didn’t realise there were so many ‘ tank friends’ who might pop round uninvited! Wish I’d not look at it while I was eating my dinner...

Thanks Darrel. Those names were really helpful. I’ve looked them all up and I reckon your IDs were spot on. As most apart from the flatworm look pretty standard Im feeling more hopeful. At least two of the remaining fish looking sick so I’m hoping the medication works some magic. Really...

Its not been a vintage week for my tank I’m afraid. The poor wee Rasboras have become sick, and I’ve lost two of them over the weekend. I think internal parasites might be to blame as I test the water every week and nitrite still zero and nitrates are where they should be. I noticed a range of...

So confession time: the last time I cleaned the pre-filter a full grown shrimp had got sucked in. I had no idea this was possible -the gaps in the glassware looked so narrow. I was rinsing the sponges and I spotted it, a millisecond too late, swirling down the kitchen sink plug hole. After a...

:lol:I hope so! Big Shelley is definitely the biggest reddest and best looking of the shrimp so I’m not surprised she found an ‘admirer’ so quickly. Don’t know how long they take to hatch so I’m going to find/make a filter inlet cover. Can’t have the kids getting hoovered up into the filter:eek:

Exciting news from the tank: Big Shelley (my favourite cherry shrimp) is getting even bigger! :dummy:

Thanks for all the advice Jay, it’s been a great help :thumbup:

The tanks been running for two months now so I thought it’s a good time to post a picture. (the water is a little cloudy and stained as I’ve just done the weekly maintenance and added a catappa leaf to condition the water for the fish and shrimp) I’m really pleased with how it’s settling in so...

Who knew aquascaping was an extreme sport? Clearly taking your life in your hands with these water changes- try not to kill each other and blow the shop up :lol: Mini Christmas moss going in tonight when I get in from work. Think I need at least an hour to battle that fiddly cotton.

Thanks Jay. Did feel bad about the little fella, I’ve followed your suggestion and lowered the water level a bit so hopefully no more doomed bids for freedom.

That’s good to hear, I’ve been a bit nervous to look in the morning since it happened. I really like the look of the frogbit too. The roots are so cool.

Yes they all made it home safe and sound....thanks for all the help. The shrimp look fantastic, and I’ll use the Christmas Moss on one of the branches. Hope your big water change went well.

Hi Karl Good look with your new scape. Hope it goes well! Mike.

Highs and lows in week 7 of the tank. The bad (sad) news was I lost one of my lovely neon green rasboras:(. It jumped out of the tank overnight and was too late to rescue by the time I found it in the morning. I feel bad about it, and have been reading to find out why it might have happened...

Love your tank Steve. Definitely inspiring me to up the number of Buce plants in mine, they look so great on your branches. Your shrimp are fantastic too-amazing colour-they must be in heaven in there!

Thanks Steve. Will take a look now. I’d taken the plunge with the ADA ties before I read your post. They were quite handy for reattaching the buce to my branches but it took quite a long piece to wrap around the wood and hold them firmly enough in place. Not the prettiest solution, I bet your...

Sorry to hear about your skimmer disaster :nailbiting: they seem really inquisitive little fish and very attracted to the flow from the lily pipe. I can imagine they could easily get themselves into trouble. If my chubby one has lots of babies I’ll give you shout and we can top up your numbers...

I love them too. They’re amazing little fish. Seem really happy in the tank too, very active and enjoying their food. Yes, I was planning to put a few more in, maybe 10 or so, but they only had 7 at the shop. But I will put a few more in in the future as I know they’re happiest in a bigger...

Six week tank anniversary today! And an exciting addition to share. I’ve added some beautiful little fish - Seven Neon Green Rasboras (microdevario kubotai) are enjoying their new home. As promised, here’s a picture of how the whole tank is shaping up with a close up of the new occupants.

Thanks for the encouragement. Itis a bit daunting sometimes when I don’t really know what I should be doing, so all the advice everyone is sharing is really appreciated. Even though Im making some mistakes I’m really enjoying it all so the maintenance doesn’t feel like a hassle. Obviously water...

Thanks Aalto. It’s great to have advice from someone with experience as I’ve just been trying to learn from you tube and other peoples journals etc along with some great advice from the staff at aquarium gardens. I saw other successful tanks where the plants were growing under standard aquarium...

Thanks for the advice. The light was at 30% initially and I only dimmed it further last week so I’ve adjusted it back up and will gradually increase it as you recommended and keep you posted how it goes. Really appreciate the advice. Because I’ve never grown any of the plants before I didn’t...

Thanks Jay. Yes it does make sense but I thought I had to keep the light levels low to avoid algae with it being non-CO2...am I getting it wrong? The light is a Twinstar 450S which is lovely but very bright. The current photoperiod is 8 hours dimmed to just 20% I was recommended 30% but found I...

So I grew a little impatient with the rotala rotundifolia I mentioned above which was looking a little weedy and sorry for itself. It looked pretty luscious in George Farmer’s low tech scape (think it’s a sticky thread in the low tech section here or maybe an article in PFK) so I was lulled...

Thank you so much for the info. I’ll definitely just rinse the pre filter sponges under the tap from now on, but I don’t suppose it did any harm while the tank was settling in. The shrimp seem pretty active and content so I’m hoping this is a good sign that everything is healthy in the filter.

Oh thanks for the tip -will just do them under the tap from now on then. Will definitely save a few minutes. Hope you’re right about the shrimp breeding! At the moment though just happy to see them settled in and looking healthy. I have five and 3 are definitely bigger and redder than other...

Thank you. The main thing is they’re alive and looking busy and healthy. Just want to make sure I care for them properly

It’s beautiful - your patience has definitely been rewarded. Thanks for the pictures, it’s inspiring to see what you’ve achieved. Love the lovely round mosses...actually, just love all :clap:

Looks great. The new soil seems to have made all the difference. I’m sure the fish appreciate their lovely new home..congratulations!

:clap: Your tank is stunning! Congratulations, so clean and healthy looking and no algae even with your lights at 70% It’s a triumph you deserve to be proud!

Wow...that is a great (and generous!) friend to have. Congratulations on the tank, looks like a lovely set up. And Aquarium Gardens shop is in your neighbourhood...when you’re ready for your plants they have amazing choice and were really friendly and helpful when I was choosing plants for my...

Sorry to see you lost one of your new shrimp :(

Hi Jay I think it’s going pretty well thanks! I’m loving every minute of it.....almost stopped watching tv....just stare at the tank now....its so relaxing :watching: My most exciting update is that with everything running smoothly I took the plunge and added 5 Sakura red cherry shrimp...

Thanks for all this advice and also the encouragement. Not going to pretend, it’s been a LOT to get my head around very quickly so these tips are really helpful. Thanks for the frequency advice...wasn’t really sure how often to maintain. I’m cleaning the pre filter weekly now. Got to say I...

Not at all. You’re welcome. Best of luck with the cherry shrimp!

Hi, So the nice chaps at aquarium gardens where I bought my tank told me not to worry to much about the cycling. They said just letting your plants root and grow in and giving the tank time to settle for a few weeks should be enough to build up the healthy bacteria without having to do anything...

I’m now well in to week three with the tank. I took this picture yesterday just before a water change and a big old clean. As you can see I have some (ok lots,) of algae, brown on the leaves of the cryptocorynes and the glass, and green on the rocks. To combat it, I’ve given everything a good...

Hi anddak Nice looking tank.....Congratulations! Im from Brighton too and also just started my tank 3 weeks ago. Looks like we’re pretty much at the same stage. I’m a bit clueless about the cycling so I’ve been trying to read up hence finding your post. I’ve been testing my water and nitrites...

I’ve made a I make terrariums and have seen similar problems in jars/ glass vessels. I wonder if your flies might be ‘peat gnats’? They’re very common and thrive in warm wet soils. Their eggs may have been present in the soil you bought from Aldi. I’ve read that sterilising the soil by soaking...

Thank you! If I’m honest I thought the marks were in the leaves as they adjusted to life underwater. Didn’t realise it was just muck - embarrassing. I’ve used a small soft paintbrush to clean the leaves and they look much better now.

Thank you! And thanks for the tip about the temperature - I’ve turned down the heater to 22 and I’m keeping up with the water changes. I’ve had a few small bits of algae but nothing too scary yet.

So my tank is through it’s first week and no major problems to report. Ive been diligent with the water changes -50% very other day and the filter (Oase 250 which looks almost as big as the tank!) seems to be doing its job beautifully. The inbuilt heater is keeping the water a steady 24 degrees...

Thanks Darrel Much appreciated, I’ve followed your advice and changed the 50% of the water every other day as I know this is important in the first few week. So far so good, don’t seem to have any algae as yet. Fingers crossed!

Thanks Jay. I’m feeling pretty happy with the progress. And thanks for the tip about the planting list, sorry, I should have thought of that. I’ll make a list and post it shortly. So I’ve done my first couple of water changes. 50% every other day. So far the waters looking pretty clear and...

Gorgeous tank mate! Everything looks so robust and healthy. SuperGreen!

It looks really great. Glad you managed to transport it safely to your new place. It’s a lovely mix of pebbles and gravel. Looks warm and friendly....bet you spend ages looking at it.

I love it. Such an interesting combination of tanks in a compact space. You’ve created your own micro zoo - maybe charge a small entrance fee when friends come over

3 tanks and all look beautiful. Congratulations!

It’s looks fantastic. Congratulations! I love the little anubias and that is a very happy looking shrimp!

Thank you also for adding list of the things you used. I’m having a go at my first tank so trying to learn fast and not kill everything. Clearly you're very good at this and know what works. Really appreciate it. It’s inspiring

Wow! You’re tank looks really beautiful. Everything looks so healthy and happy. Very lucky fish to have such a nice home.

Hi Marty. It looks great! That’s a beautiful piece of wood and your plants look like they’re enjoying their new home already :clap:

Well it took a good few hours but I got all the plants in the soil and I’m feeling pretty happy....so needed a cuppa by the end of it! I started with the taller background plants. They proved pretty fiddly and didn’t want to stay in the soil- don’t they know what’s good for them!? I wet my...

Wow! That looks amazing! What a beautiful tank and set up. Now I’m tempted to replaster my ceiling :clap:

Planting time. Got some cracking little plants from Aquarium Gardens at the weekend and....I think I spent about two hours choosing. So ready for a bit of gardening- wish me luck! It’s dawning on me I’ve not really got the proper kit. Just a long pair of tweezers (I got in a free toolkit that...

It’s a twinstar light with a teeny dimmer. The legs are adjustable so I can move it up and down above the tank a wee bit. Looks quite Star Trek!

Cool! I’ll take a look. Our house is a an old Victorian with quite dodgy plasterwork...would probably end up with half the ceiling in my tank if I drilled in to it:nailbiting:

Thanks! Pleased to hear you like it so far. Re. the lighting. That’s sounds a great idea but might be a it beyond my skillset just yet. I have a neat looking adjustable LED that, fingers crossed, should just give me clearance over the branch if I get the placement right. Have you got one of...

Thanks so much for the encouraging feedback everyone! I was a bit scared putting up the pics in case I’d made some embarrassing rookie mistakes. I’ll watch out for mouldy bits on my manzanita castle, thanks for the heads up.....if it’s starts going funky I’ll let you know. I’ve soaked it for a...

Thanks very much for all the kind greetings

And here’s where I ended up.... now with the rest of the rock in place. I’ve gone for an odd number of stones and tried to achieve an asymmetrical design with the focal point on the left hand side at roughly 1/3 across. The stone had some beautiful cracks and fissures that I tried to use to draw...

Here’s the tank with the soil (tropica) banked towards the back and my branch and the main stone in. I’ve tried to position it so nothing is too close to the edge of the tank so it won’t be too tricky to clean and maintain. The tank is in a tall narrow alcove so I wanted to make best use of the...

Thanks Edvet! I impulse purchased a large branch (manzanita wood I think) and some pieces of millennium stone. I really wanted the wood to stick out of the top of the tank but without getting too much in the way of the lighting. I wish I’d had your advice earlier as I foolishly tested out the...

Thanks guys. a warm welcome indeed. That was a speedy response! I’ve started a journal as you suggest. Will post the hardscape progress shortly. It involves rocks and a large (and probably not very sensible) branch!

So here’s my new tank - a belated birthday present form my hubby - best present ever Went to Aquarium Gardens in Cambridgeshire (amazing shop!) but got caught in a huge traffic jam Ended up arriving almost at closing time but the guys were really helpful and stayed open a wee bit late to give...

Hi Everyone, So I found your amazing site completely by accident whilst looking for bottle gardens terrariums. I was blown away by the galleries of amazing tanks - wow you guys are talented! I’d never heard of aquascaping but I’ve always loved plants and gardening and I kept an aquarium when I...