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Thanks Cookies, I got the light from Aquarium Gardens in the UK. I don’t think they sell the separate modules but worth asking. They are always helpful. T Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Here’s the current overgrown tank Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not updating in a while. Needless to say the hydrocotyle grew right back in no time! It’s a bit like stems in a conventional tank. I’m just a bit lazy to keep it under control. Did a little proof of concept project this evening. I’m thinking of rescaping for a moss and anubias dominated...

Succulent Iwugumi has grown in well. Shame I think frost will destroy the dragon stone Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I really like it. Reminds me of some of the small tanks in the first ADA book. Are there any livestock in there? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Lovely in the sunshine [emoji274] Careful the sun can burn the leaves of plants that aren’t used to it. I’ve killed a few house plants that way! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Again thanks for posting, some exquisite nano tanks there! Not the average LFS in the UK Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks so much for sharing, would love to visit Japan one day. T Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Beautiful! Not seen many scapes with red stone, tricky to work with. T Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Welcome, this area’s water is pretty hard. More suited to Marine! That said I do use it in my big tank. I use lots of rain water to keep the TDS down. Lovely Marine scape there. T Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’ve wondered about using waste water from tumble dryer. I usually use it to water house plants [emoji271] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The big girl has shed over night as well. Perhaps they were being gents and helping her take her coat off? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My tank is definitely not spotless! The make just seemed to be riding along on her back. Will try and make a video. Thanks T Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Noticed a triad of Amanos wondering around the tank with a little one piggy backing a big one. Is this what breeding looks like? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Tank suffered an epic chop! Pruned all the hydrocotyle back hard. Trying to get the H.pinitifada to be more dominant. Halfway: Nice anubias uncovered Post chop (tannin stained water due to my rain water butt running low!) Hopefully it will recover! Sent from my iPhone using...

Welcome, the anubias look admirably algae free. Well done Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I had aphids in my emersed scape. Flooding is the only practical solution. Especially if there are fish around to eat the aphids. A flood for 24 hrs and then drain won’t affect a dry start (I.e plants won’t transition to submerged growth in 24 hours). You do need to get rid of them, they really...

Thanks Steve. Soon going to need a radical trim, will look a bit rough for a bit. Will be interesting to see what happened to the moss and anubias Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yep, not lived in Wales for 18 years now but always nice to go back. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sorry not sure on names but I have seen some beautiful plants growing in British waters. Is that a small pike among the weed in the first pic? Sticklebacks are cool Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Agreed clear pipes are really annoying to clean! I got some transparent but grey tinted 22mm pipe off Amazon, it’s an acceptable compromise. Need nano bots in the filter cleaning the interior! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Croeso! T Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quick pic of the killies at water change time. I’m sure they would be happy living in a cm or two of water! Topped up again Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I really could never get the extra o ring to work without leaking. The CO2 reactor is the way to go, you can get it so there are zero bubbles. You might be able to use a longer hose all coiled up after the diffuser to get same effect. Main problem is the reduction in flow you will get to your...

Loving the Ember tetras in the 600. Nice lush background for them. T Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Looking good, Moss seems to have transitioned well. Maybe give the stems a trim? Bushier would look better with the other plants. T Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Looking really nice. Can’t see any algae from here! Do you do anything to keep the rocks clean? T Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Seems like the diatoms are fading away. So I gave the rotala a good trim. Also added some rotala walchii that’s hiding behind the wood. Also planted some more crypts to fill out the middle ground. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, without looking at the tech specs. I would say the Twinstar was brighter but the quality is quite different. Somehow the point source of the Cookies makes the shadows around the leaves sharper, like sunlight shafting into a jungle pool. The light from the Twinstar felt quite flat by...

Hi Thanks, for the comments. I’ve trimmed both hydrocotyle species several times but only in a focused areas (like maintaining the central gap). I’m trying to promote the h.pinitifada but it simply doesn’t grow as fast. I think one day I will rescape without the hydrocotyle, try a different...

I’ve seen mountain lakes that probably only have a handful of trout or char in the whole lake but are crystal clear! So little food available the fish numbers follow the food Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Probably the pinitifada is emergent growth. Hopefully it will start producing underwater leaves Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That is interesting. Similar to an article in NatGeo on how Wolves in Yellowstone can affect the course of a river by scaring the deer. Pike are amazing fish, perfect predators. Surprising where they can survive and thrive. I’ve seen some beasts in canals that are murky with no plants and only...

Lovely video, did you film underwater? I could never get the H.pinitifada to thrive but for some people it’s like a weed! Hope that’s you. Will be nice to see it growing in. Rock work is great. T Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good work, diatoms are horrible. They always seem to go on and on for me, when I’m just about to loose hope they dissolve. Maybe try nerite snails, they are really good at scouring rocks and anubias leaves. Personally I would get rid of the Riccia, it always seems to disintegrate and get...

So as this scape has started growing up and out I’ve started to feel the Twinstar is cutting off the top of the scape. After researching a few options I decided to get the Atledis Cookies light. It fits neatly on the back glass between the DOOA wall (thanks to Dave at Aquarium Gardens for...

Looking lovely, really filling out nicely, the greens really pop against the dark back ground. T Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the Advice Alto. Yes full CO2 with green DC I dose 7 ml TNC complete daily + cap full of Flourish Iron Twice weekly 50% WC at the present ——— In my old scape green spot algae did plague the abubias but once established the java fern grew well. My water is fairly hard pH 6.5...

Little video, diatoms seem to be settling with some green spot algae in it’s place! Thinking of trying twinstar nano???? Also need to decide on what to do with the stems. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Bark on the first looks like silver birch. Probably not great wood for a tank, tends to rot quickly. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That wasn’t the shop in Cefn y Bedd, North Wales was it? Remember visiting there years ago. Well ahead of it’s time. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not aquascaping but stunning underwear scenes Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Tried taking a photo of my colony today, you can see the wood (old bit of oak root). Water butt is teaming with them at the moment. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Also consider a pseudo cube, I.e square base but slightly taller than it is wide. 30 wide x 30 deep x 36 tall would be cool. That would get away from the symmetry but keep the same foot print. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Cool wood, could have some nice emergent plants coming out the top. T Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks it’s some kind of pachypodium but can’t remember which. Impressed by your Bonsai age! I’m also interested in it but have yet to create anything worthy from scratch. Got plenty of “material” growing in the garden. Definitely a slow burning hobby! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Been fighting diatoms in this scape. Plants growing but marred by brown discoloring. Must say the nerites I got are amazing, even sort out old anubias leaves Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Cool Bonsai! Looks like they have a bit of age, I always find the Chinese Elms die on me but plenty of Euro elm cuttings growing in the garden. Trying to coax my succulents to life after winter. The pachypodia seem to be leafing but the Jalibee try is still a twig. Hope it survives as I grew...

Thanks Fil, I’m happy with the look of two dominant species. I do miss the big expanses of Moss but it’s still there underneath. T Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Cool, thanks Darrel. I might try some in one of my emersed set ups Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Excellent information as always, the tap water round here is very soft but I’ve tested this well and the GH/KH was surprisingly high. I found this growing on the brickwork of a canal lock in Staffordshire. Sounds likely to be the pellia you describe. Is it an aquatic species or just likes...

Hi All, Was poking around my Dad’s place and came across the old water well, deep in the undergrowth. I noticed a liverwort growing below the surface. Could it be Riccardia chamedryfolia? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They are quite happy in my water butt with a lid (have small children). As Darrel says they will need some food, I have some old lumps of bog wood in mine. I’ve started feeding them with a jar of green water a week and the population has boomed. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wonderful hardscapes! Dragon Stone is weird stuff, you make it look very natural. T Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks James, the emergent plants are pretty rampant. Will soon need to trim the H.verticla (or rig up a suspended light!). Quick vid messing with iMovie, had to put on the cheesy music to disguise my breathing and creaky knees! EDIT: seems the music doesn’t cross over! Enjoy my own sound...

My daphnia are doing great, so am feeding up my fish. Quick vid of a big daphnia feast at the wall: Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It still looks great, Buces look very healthy! I found cosmetic sand a bit of a PITA so ditched it for my current scape. T Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Brilliant set up, I agree the little details are fascinating and often hard to capture on a picture. Great project. T Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Got a new phone, quite a difference: iPhone 6 iPhone XS Really handles the greens and bright/dark a lot better. Need to play more! T Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks mort, could well be the birch robbing the nutrients. It’s relatively sheltered (at least compared to a mountain side!), so probably not cold/wind. I remember reading that Birch are typically colonists of new ground, hence thriving in my new build garden! I did dip all the roots in...

Hi, wondering if there are any conifers experts on here? I’ve got a bit of a mini arboretum in my garden (Legacy of a brief flirtation with Bonsai). I like the trees anyway for the greenery. I have a number of pines, The Arolla pine (Zirben in German). Has been in the ground 3 seasons but...

Depends on the scape, one Dario would be OK. They are not very active swimmers. The Killies are also quite sedate but they do jump. T Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks Tucker. Volume is a bit tricky, depending on how deep you fill it! With the filter it’s anything from 22 - 25 L Keep thinking I should get more fish but the volume isn’t that great when you consider all the lava rock etc Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It is also fairly tolerant of low humidity. Works well as a plant growing out the top of an open tank. T Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Water change time! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It grows well for me in high tech set up. It doesn’t exactly grow on wood but will rapidly trail over it if you wedge/stick it to the wood. As mentioned it does tend to take over! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, I seem to recall the Romans used Elm for water pipes. Beautiful tank and cabinet. I really appreciate the emergant growth. Perhaps add a Ehime skim? Will add flow and could be hidden behind the wood. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wow that looks amazing! Great layout, looks a lot bigger than it is. Very healthy looking too. What is your maintenance schedule? Any more details on the 3D printed HOB, sounds very interesting. T Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ikea Jansjo lamp always a good one. Certainly grows plants. Example lighting Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Looking good, the reds are really developing in the middle. T Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, particularly with Anubias! The underwater ones still have some algae from when I took them from my big tank. The Buce “Wavy Green” and “Needle Leaf“ badly melted but are now making new leaves. Seem to have responded to dosing iron. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Trimming back the Hydrocotyle Verticla, trying to stop it drowning the Anubias. Got “Coin Nana” and “Mini mini” in the tank both grow above and below the surface. There are some buces and Java fern but they seem less tolerant of the low humidity. Full tank (need to clean pipes [emoji15])...

Colour of the wood in tank Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks, there are a few rocks stabilizing the wood but will be hidden by the plants! I’ve never been super confident about using red stems but I guess I could plant them into the rotala green at a later date? I do know what you mean, it is very green! Hopefully different shades and textures...

As above, I’ve got a large rain butt full of them. Even when frozen on top they were still swimming around. Just break the ice and dip in a net! I think the key is using the biggest container you can for all sorts of reasons around stability. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Started to seem signs of growth... Can never seem to take photos of the cardinals but they seem very happy in their new lodgings Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You know when your wife sends you to fix the broken light and you just end up making succulent plant, Iwugumis.... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice Jungle type feel. The water looks a bit hazy, could be tannins from the wood. Purigen in the filter is pretty good at clearing that out. In terms of layout, I’m no expert but look up “Rule of thirds” and “golden Ratio”. Keep up the good work, interesting journal. T Sent from my iPhone...

Looking really nice. I like the red/bronze crypt in the middle, which species is it? Peacock Gudgeon are really cool. Nice work. T Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I would agree, Fissidens is terrible for hair algae! I got rid of it in my new scape, going to try and stick with a neatly trimmed, designer stubble of Java, over the fissidens full beard! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good luck with the UG, always been a tricky one for me. Lovely if you can get it to grow. T Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I agree option 2. The wood looks more natural around the rock. The wood looks like really nice old roots. My eye is drawn to the central branch. Looks like a point where two branches grew together. It has what bonsai people call, negative taper. Not necessarily bad but certainly is a high focal...

Couple of quick snaps of fish competing for daphnia Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks Coen, I use rain water that I collect. It has minimal dissolved minerals so doesn’t stain the glass. Also the fish like the low pH. Only cleaned the underwater glass once since set up. Virtually no algae. I guess the water volume is very heavily filtered (if you count the wall as a...

Thanks, penny only recently dropped that I need to fertilize like it is a high tech set up. Plants really responded well. It’s essentially a kind of hydroponic system so they need a lot of nutrients dosing. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks, I’m going to let it go fairly wild before any trim! Two Badis are fine, one is dominant but both feed well (will only take live food). Unfortunately I lost about half the killies soon after introducing. They were pretty skinny and didn’t feed. The remaining Killies seem well, feed and...

Started dosing iron daily. Could be totally subjective but I think it looks greener already. Anubias “coin nana” seems happy now, putting out new leaves I created a little extension to hide the inflow pipe. Used the moss wrapped around a chunk of florists Oasis. Working well. Loads...

Emaculate carpet [emoji106] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

All your scapes are looking lovely. Miniature is cool! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Couple more shots, definitely think the extra wood on the left, helps with the sense of depth. Need to think what I’m going to do with the stems, not sure they will be a long term fixture? Maybe replace with tall crypts eventually... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I would vote against Otos too. They are very prone to dying a couple of weeks after introduction. Nerite snails can’t usually reproduce in fresh water. They are pretty good on wood and anubias leaves. CRS won’t make a huge dent in algae but help clean other detritus and are fascinating:)...

I would agree with the above. My two are very peaceful to Killies they live with and shrimp. They squabble with each other but not to the point were damage occurs. Mine will only eat live food. I bet daphnia out of my rain butt and pop them in 2 - 3 times a week. Great fun to watch them hunt...

Thanks Alto and Akwarium, I think you are right the wood on the left could do with being further forward. However I’d already planted the eleocharis lawn (finger still hurts!) I would cry if I had to move it now. Was up till 01:45 finishing planting.... Added a couple more bits of wood to bulk...

Cool will look out for that. Hard to see due to lack of contrast on the dark substrate. Will try and emphasize the front to back differences with crypts. Tedious to plant!!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Epiphytes in! Quite a lot of Anubias hidden by the trident fern. Maybe one day I will get the super glue off my hands. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Amazing, if not for the miniscus it could be 200L Great scale. T Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nerites are good. If it’s mainly BBA then it will go eventually. Just a tank settling in thing. It lasted a long time for me. When you start seeing green spot algae the BBA will disappear. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Started working on this. Always forget what a drag tearing down a scape is. Let alone catching all the cherry shrimp! Empty with focal point markers in situ. Wood + Java moss in, probably tweak it some more. Covered up for now. To continue this evening. Thanks for looking. T Sent...

Thanks Alto, I was cognizant if that risk. Some of the ADA scapes I like are even bigger, 180 cm etc. I guess it’s the style I want to replicate more than anything. I think concave can work in smaller tanks. All a learning process. Think my last tank, I over filled it with hard scape and didn’t...

Sorry to hear of your algae woe. I agree the scape looks great, very much in the Amano style. Maybe just let the stems overgrow the scape. Stems in optimal conditions will put algae to the sword. The stems can always be cut back hard when the algae looks to have faded. Could also try a black...