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I’m a mesh bag user with terrestrial soil. I have zero issue with plants reaching the soil and penetrating the mesh. I will say that I did not stuff the bags out, and I also did add some grit to the soil so that to potentially cope with anaerobic conditions. I copied @Tim Harrison example of...

Not sure if it’s available in the UK, but here in the US we have plastic spray paint. It can easily be peeled off after it’s dry if necessary. It’s called PlastiDip here, I’m sure there’s something similar by you guys.

Before I read your post I was dying 😂😂😂😂

If I’m not mistaken, APT 0 has no nitrates. If your nitrate levels are low then what you’re experiencing makes sense. It will not survive as an epiphyte with lean water column dosing

I personally in the past used vegetable oil with success 👍🏻

Good to know. I’d like to have a swarm of em in my tank but I just can’t keep them out of the overflows, they just wana take that ride

You don’t have issues with the bows torturing the shrimp? I tried Amanos but they always managed to find my overflow and end up down in the sump.

it’s not like an aquasoil, it’s just inert crushed volcanic rock. The “live” aspect is the bacteria that’s supposedly in there when you first open the bag. It’ll work just fine, are you planning on using the compost and capping it with eco complete?

If you follow Tim’s guide and use a “soil retainer” you won’t have the problem you’re referring to. I actually bag my soil and cap with sand on top of that, works brilliantly. I pull up plants weekly without any mess, prob less of a mess than pulling up plants out of AS. My success and continued...

Afternoon! Long time no post, but figured I’d update my dirt/soil tank status. Tank is doing well, I’ve swapped around stems to my liking and currently I’m working with Ludwigia Rubin, Hygrophila Pinnatifida, Hygrophila Triflora (recently planted, a cool variety!), Pogostemon Eustrelis...

Nice to see people using dirt!

I would shut the gass off immediately! It sounds like your regulator failed and it rapidly released the co2 from the cylinder through the safety valve (if you have one). The pressure should not read that high,

Funny you brought this up, I was looking for his journal just the other day and was perusing barrreport until I realized he posted it here! Lots of good information and his humility is refreshing. However, not sure what he needed it for because as you stated, even his worst was exceptional.

He is still posting, just limiting his reach now. He’s currently frequenting a newer forum, ScapeCrunch. Now when I say frequent, maybe a post or two a month if that lol.

First of all, and most importantly, I hope your son is doing well and recovering. Second, I think you answered your own question in your post. That is a long time to go without any maintenance. I think the amount of growth is also a factor in that it’s likely messing with the flow patterns and...

Which version do you have? I have a version II and I like to start at 50% the first week, and go up 10% each week. Currently I run my lights at 80% and then an hour of the day at 100%.

So while conversing on another forum, it seems that my suspicions are confirmed about the Hygrophila. It’s not 53b, but likely Salicifolia. The leaves are extremely long and the plant itself is just not branching and off-shooting like it typically should. It’s my only gripe at the moment because...

All trimmed up

Tank is growing in nicely, dealing with some hair algae that I think I introduced from the moss. I just ordered APT Fixlite so we will see how that helps the moss. Disregard some of the loose plants and disarray of the anubias lol. I recently got a nice bunch of anubias to fill in more gaps so...

Drones have particularly become an issue at prisons. They are using them to drop things into the prison yards.

Took these today of the Ludwigia, one of my favorite reds.

Been a long time since I posted so I figured I’d do an update. The previous scape went downhill due to life getting in the way so I had to start over with the plants. I was able to keep some epiphytes and crypts but that’s all. I’ve since moved to a new house and once everything settled I put in...

I had a similar outbreak previously with a newer setup. Consistent water changes and making sure everything else was as stable as I could keep it helped. It’s going to require consistent effort of manual removal and water changes until it’s eradicated, but that’s just my experience. The...

I’m waiting for the day when I remove the suction cup from my drop checker and the damn bulb shatters in my fingers 😳🩸

@The Miniaturist I tried L. Brasiliensis years ago when I was just starting and it just became an algae magnet. That is probably the slowest of the grassy type growers as you’ve indicated.

You could use landscaping material designed to keep weeds at bay. It will separate the sand but allow water to pass through

You could do hair grass, or Sagittaria. Growth will be quite slow though

I just saw on Ady’s Instagram, very sad. He was really fighting to stay in the game, may he rest in peace.

Just a week’s update, not much has changed. Planting in the pool filter sand was such a breeze. I honestly love it more than BDBS that I used previously. My only concern was its visibility but once plants fill in it’ll be pretty non existent. My peacock gudgeons are truly enjoying this scape...

I can attest to the comments made in regards to the reactor and flow. I too have a cerges, but I took @foxfish ‘s advice and used the bottle technique. High flow is definitely not what you want because it will push the bubbles out too quickly instead of mixing them properly to dissolve. For...

Recieved my plants a few days ago and the tank has since been planted. Here’s the list of plants: Java Fern Petite and India, Anubias Nana Petite and Paxang, Bucephelandra red mini, Pilo Moss, Riccardia Chamedryfolia (Mini Pellia), Hygrophila Pinnatafida, Red Tiger Lotus, Juncus Repens...

Okay, as promised, I started my reboot. The tank was stripped down completely and the rocks were power washed and replaced the spiderwood with Malaysian driftwood. The base layer is a mixture of old ADA AS and Safe T Sorb, and sprinkled some potash on top. I then laid down six media bags of MTS...

These symptoms with the exact same plants is what I was experiencing. Makes me think even more it was a lack of availability of iron in my higher kH environment

We’ve got a similar product here in the US used for spills and cleanup called Safe T Sorb. It’s montmorillonite calcined clay that has excellent CEC and is a popular budget option for substrate. The only downside is it’s super light weight, and it will strip the water column of nutrients and...

How are your plants doing? If it was a large buildup of hydrogen sulfide, your plants would be rotting from the substrate up. Not to mention the ghastly smell everytime the bubbles surfaced. Releasing the air pockets isn’t hurting it, you can take a chop stick or anything similar and poke around...

I think I would have left a parting gift on their door step on the way out 💩

I don’t have any recent photos unfortunately and the tank right now is neglected plant wise. Letting nature take its course without CO2 and just 6 hours of light and fish waste. The problem I was getting though was white new growth, stunting, and sometimes just melt.

My guess as well, but the concern I’d have is it going to be equivalent PAR values. I’m going to err on the side of caution and say no, but maybe someone who has tested or has any knowledge could help. Hb you @oreo57 ?

I believe there are LED tubes you could swap out your current tubes for but I’m not sure how much power/efficiency you will get with them.

I was using plantex CSM+B which uses EDTA and then supplemented with DTPA 11%. I then switched to GLA’s micros that’s chelated with both. So funny you say that. My house is fitted with such a system but I have not rejuvenated it with salt since in bought the house 7 years ago. All it has right...

Any new updates? I’ve been following along because I have a feeling this was an issue in my tank. I have a low gH (2-3) and higher kH (~9) coming from my tap which I think may have been causing issues with iron uptake.

You need to stop worrying about BPS. It really doesn’t apply to larger tanks and since every setup is different, bubble rates will vary greatly. Keep increasing the rate until you see the change you’re looking for, don’t stall because you are seeking a specific bubble count, you’ll go mad as I’m...

And there in lies the problem. Unless you have a landscape supply nearby, or have access to decent soil in your own backyard, commercial “top soils” for the most part are not actually soil at all. As you’ve already mentioned, most bags are filled with nonsense and filler, and not much dirt at...

I considered a DIY build with fresh fish and some blues, reds, and cyan to enhance even further with customizability. Lost interest due to time constraints but it honestly seems the best route to go for customization and bringing out the colors you want.

Only Lovuu 1mm Mesh Holes Aquarium Filter Bags, Fish Tank Media Mesh Bags with Plastic Zipper for Charcoal Media, Bio Balls, Ceramic Rings, Ammonia Remover (10 Pack, Large, Black) https://a.co/d/2BQwq07 These are what I purchased, they were pretty cheap too.

https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/soil-substrate-or-dirted-tank-a-how-to-guide.18943/ this is the most ingenious part of Tim’s guide. I took it a step forward by putting the soil in fine mesh bags for easier cleanup when the tank is rescaped, and for specific placement of the soil bags. The...

Not my method, it was coined by a biologist named Sean Murphy and a popular write up was generated on a few forums describing the method. I’ll leave a link below to a cool info graphic on the process. To answer your question, once the soil no longer has a potent organic smell (rotten or strong...

Reviving this thread up again. I did a rescape that was not well executed and rushed, resulting it poor growth and a lack of maintenance. Tank is now just in limbo with mainly crypts, moss, and Java ferns surviving without co2 or added ferts. I will be doing a rescape in the next couple weeks...

Found two free swimming today, man they are TINY!!!! I’m prob missing more but I still see some in the pipe underneath the male. I’m thinking I should leave him in case those are just slow to catch up, what’s your thought? I’d hate to remove him and the others get a fungus or something from not...

Appreciate the insight. Now correct me if I’m wrong, the eggs hatch within several days. However even though they hatch, it takes much longer for them to become free swimming or even move correct? Because I believe they have hatched they just haven’t reached free swimming yet. I sware today I...

Temperature is around 72 degrees, and yes I saw the eggs and the female was already dismissed from the area by the male. He’s continuing to guard them so I’d like to think they are healthy if he’s still protecting them.

My gudgeons laid eggs and the male has been guarding them for almost 2 weeks now. I can see the eggs and they have eyes but I would think they should have hatched by now and be free swimming. Anyone with experience with these guys?

Merry Christmas from across the pond 🎄 🎅🏼

In all seriousness though, I have experienced chronic diatoms in my tanks since I started backup with the hobby using my municipal SC tap water. Good plant growth and a stable environment definitely kept it at bay, but never fully eliminated it. With my current environment that gets nothing but...

And having said that, they can keep their obnoxious lungs out of my aquascape!

how did the silica/diatom theory originate?

@AlecF did you receive your replacement fish? Or are they waiting for better weather to ship.

All clarification not originally explained so thank you. I’m no stranger to weather changes, it can be 70+ Fahrenheit here in the winter and drop to freezing here at night easily during the winter. Some retailers will require you to add heat packs/cold packs on your own when checking out...

Unless they guarantee delivery, or specifically state they will use heat packs, you cannot blame them. No accusations either which way here, but most reputable places are pretty clear in their shipping policies. Again not attacking you just playing devils advocate .Gradual temperature change...

Do you still find mist escaping or you get full dissolution? What about CO2 buildup later in the day

Looks like your overflow is in the right hand corner, just like my setup. Why not run a spray bar from the left all the way up until the overflow box. That’s how I have mine, and I run a cerges in the sump with the output directed right into my return pump. My sump is not sealed and I do use a...

Pictures would help. Before you bash a seller make sure the reason it’s failing is not on your end. It’s not a difficult plant to get going, but you also need to plant it correctly.

Can’t say I ever got a definitive answer, but my strongest guess was some sort of imbalance. I’ve noticed that it can be a very temperamental plant when you grow it high tech, and the plant for sure loves the unobstructed light My tank has since been rescaped and not met my standards so it’s...

This is what I do with actual soil, I substituted Tim Harrison’s soil retainer for the mesh bags instead. Easier to remove the bags then to have to scoop out the dirt on a rescape. You could do something similar with the oscmocote, get a fine mesh or netting to place over the osmocote you put...

My only critique is that #10 should have its numbers switched, #01

It really depends on what you want. You could save a lot of money and get some quality LED bulbs and hang them pendant style. Now these would be fun to experiment with 1200 Lumens, Selectable LED Smart Bulb, PAR38, 14W, Color Changing and Tunable White, 120W Equal, Medium Base, 90 CRI, Easy...

@foxfish The bottle trick is working nicely! I used a bottle similar to the one I posted above and today I came home to a lime/yellow DC. Bubble rate is pretty significant as I expected but working well and NO gas buildup at all. My pump is a reef octopus Aquatrance 1000S with a max output of...

A bottle like this then?

What kind of bottle do you think would work best in your opinion?

The noise level is minimal, the needle wheel pump handles the bubble rate just fine. I’d imagine the bigger the needle wheel the quieter it would be. This one only puts out 99gph and it’s handling my injection rate like a champ.

No sir I haven’t tried the reverse water bottle method yet. At the moment the setup is handling my gas quite well but I could use less mist which is my own doing with the Venturi hose placement.

Whelp, turns out this reactor works really well. The Venturi for sure is assisting, however, it’s providing a light mist during the whole cycle. It’s currently about 3-4” down so I will need to push it down even further, OR, put an irrigation ball valve on it to keep the bubbles from getting...

For a while I have been using a needle wheel pump for my co2 diffusion and while it works well, I’m not convinced that just the mist is enough for my sumped setup, not to mention its unsightly. I have not been happy with my plant growth and have noticed some unsightly algae that I believe is due...

Red plants typically are the most light hungry, what type of light do you have?

KASA smart plugs. I’ve never found a reliable timer until I tried these WiFi plugs. The options are endless for programming them and they are so easy and reliable. My only positive experience is with the KASA brand. I have a WiFi controlled power strip and I love it.

I doubt you’ll have issues finding it, but if you do you can always order some fine mesh media bags. Works just as well, and I’m a big advocate of Tim’s guide 👍🏻

You have to program ALL 8 settings for it to work. So just put random times from the time it turns off to the time it turns on for settings 5-8 at 0% and it will work. Once you program the 8th setting it will set and go back to the main screen For example: 1. 1PM- 0% 2. 130PM 70% 3. 7PM 70% 4...

I’ve found that GSA really enjoys light. Have you recently changed your lighting or even replaced the bulbs?

Honestly, get whatever substrate fits within your budget. They all work, it just comes down to your husbandry efforts. If you don’t do maintenance and pay attention to the plants, it doesn’t matter what substrate you have your going to have problems. If you get any type aquasoil, I wouldn’t mix...

All my Fluval were silent, and my Rena XP4 (now API XL).

Gluconate breaks down really fast and I don’t think it’s absorbed as well in hard water either. If your water is in the higher pH range you’ll want to use DTPA or EDDHA. I’d try the DTPA first.

@Geoffrey Rea had a nice sump setup as well and his was “sealed” off to assist in keeping CO2 levels optimal.

Yeah maybe we can have the mods merge these two so we don’t have two threads about the same inquiry of valid concern.

Yeah I guess that makes sense. What I don’t understand though is why more of the other nutrients affect the nutrients in demand. If plants require something specific, and it’s not in abundance, wouldn’t they scavenge for said nutrient more readily? Or is the implication that the excess nutrients...

I have a sump as well and agree it’s more versatile to inject CO2. In terms of off gassing, I think the best way to ensure your plants are getting the best bang for their buck is making sure your aiming for the best dissolution possible, and that the flow is circulating properly. What I mean by...

I’ve been following the pro’s and con’s of lean dosing thread and I have seen this issue come up a few times but not really explained. What exactly about “hard water” causes precipitation and uptake issues and is it more Kh or Gh related? I know many people like myself are not using RO so some...

Welcome fellow American!

A mixture of different colored bucephelandra would be pretty awesome I think, just remember that’s going to cost a pretty penny to cover those rocks. As a prior reefer I’m sure that’s not so much a surprise or issue for you. In addition, I’d run your lights at prob 30-40% of their power, along...

How do you keep those rocks so clean! What’s the intensity of your lights and how long?

@Hufsa That makes sense. And I agree with the confusion on lean.

Does front loading not negate the “lean” approach? This is where I feel it gets confusing, not knowing the actual uptake of the plants and relying on test kits that the majority of us agree are incorrect. Front loading would be providing the plants with the estimated weekly buildup of whatever...

You can buy it from “aquatic” sites OR in a hardware store in the lighting section. It’s purpose commercially is for light diffusion with tube lighting. It’s what I used on the bottom of my tank as well to disperse the weight. It will be cheaper at a hardware store

I have the normal trident, however, I feel mine is quite large compared to what I normally see in the tropica versions on YouTube, especially George Farmers videos. The leaves appear thinner and more needle like in the Tropica versions. Anyone else noticed discrepancies in size? I’m planning to...

I’m not convinced this picture didn’t come from your toilet, what are you trying to pull here?

I have the Twinstar S II and I use the S2 dimmer. The only issue with this dimmer is if you go too low on the light level it will cause a flicker every now and then. This happens for me when it’s below 15% power which is more the “moonlight” level of brightness.

Have you considered the reactor route? That will get you the clear look you want

It’s what I use, I followed Tim’s guide as well

Those white clouds look stunning! The tank looks beautiful. How long have you been dosing NH4 and do you dose this instead of KNO3 or together?

I specifically got RV drinking water hose. It’s safe for us to drink from so that means it’s safe for fish.

Low end valves “float” which essentially means they cannot maintain the aperture you set it at. For instance you set it for one bubble per second. The next day it’s now 5 bubbles a second or barely a bubble every ten seconds, see what I’m getting at? Some people get away with the cheap stuff...