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Ah..... it certainly does look like that and you described pretty much the exact location of where I found it. Shame it won't survive. Regards

Any ideas on what it is an how I should plant/grow/propogate it? Currently just sitting int that bowl in a sunny window

Not sure if this will work: This is the moss. It's actualy a lot tougher than I expected.... quite tree like in the stem.

Hi, Out walking today I stumbled (quite literally) upon a nice little piece of granite that I thought would fit perfectly in my nano tank that I was planning to setup with some shrimp. I also then discovered some local moss growing on a fallen tree stump half submerged in a stream. Thus I...

Hi Troi, From the list of plants on the opening thread would you suggest that any are particularly loving of soft water? or does it really make little difference. Regards

thanks Troi.

Hey, Thanks for the replies. I'd already looked at the map from SW water, sadly I couldnt work out from there where i was as I look to be on the cusp of the central part of exeter/east devon.However, given the lack of limescale in the house and kettle I'm going to assume that I'm in the medium...

Hi, I've recently moved from London to Exeter and am trying to sort my tank out. It suffered a little from the early packing and the journey but came back fairly well, however following a one week holiday where my parents where house sitting, I was informed that for some reason the lights did...

thanks. My concern is that between draining the water and getting to the new loction is likely to be round 8hrs+ as we have someone packing and the its a 4hr road trip along with an unpack. How long can tropical fish remain bagged without heat?

Hey, I posted a while back with various problems and with what i found to be the ideal soloution which was following the Walstad setups which has beena huge success! However I now find myself moving home next week and need advice on both how to actual move a tank but also balancing that...

mail me your address. Last time I had a clear out it was unexpected, but I had a massive salad bowl of it spare, along with tons still in the tank. Sadly, I have just had a clear out. The Mrs thought I had prepared a salad and asked me if I had already put the Balsamic in ;) THanks for the...

Ah... That answer surprised me. In that case I am at a loss as to a reason for all my moss dying in my tank. Once I moved it into the tank, it took four weeks or so to 'get going' (growing green shoots), but recently it has just gone, there are parts of it sitting on the bottom of the tank (I...

Hey, I stared a low tech tank some months back and it's been doing fairly well until a little recently. I have lots of light in my tank and historically combating algae growth has been difficult, however it was suggested that I get some form of barrier to prevent to much light getting into the...

The tank is starting to stuggle a little bit, thankfully this time, it not algae. I purchased some water lettuce and boy do those things grow! I think they might have grown to much as the tank got really dark and also I lost all my mosses. I think it might be reducing the light to much and...

WOw...... so lush. I was growing mosses in Jars on my kitchen window earlier this year and it worked out quite nicely. I put it all in my tank and it started doing fairly well, however, do to issues with algae growth in former tanks I purchased some 'water lettuce' to shield some of the...

Cheers Alastair, at your rate of answering my question I think I need a bat-phone to your home! Cheers Lee

Hey, Should I put these two plants IN the substrate, leave them weighted down or let them float at the top? The plants are on the left and right..... and oh... the names would be great as I have forgotten them..... again. Regards Lee

Hi, A while back on one of my former setups I had some Blue LED's that were tied into the central lighting unit. They came on an hour before the normal lights went off and illuminated the tank which was supposed to mimic 'moon' light. I haven't seen people mention this much on the forums and...

Looking good!!! Keep'em coming.......

Really appreciate the assist Danny, but I think you might have misread my post. The bulbs I have are 15mm.... so guess that makes them T5's. Can I plug T8's into a T5 unit? I think I read somewhere that the Juwel light units are a little odd...... not sure if anyone can confirm

Thanks for the replies guys. I think I might have a larger problem. I have removed one of the bulbs and it appears to be 900mm pin to pin. The T5's on Lampspecs site measure 849mm. Any ideas on what I bulbs I can use? Am I able to use T8's or will I have the wrong unit for that? I really...

As suspected............. I got way to much light :) thanks for posting though

Finally got around to mine........... I need to add more plants at the back and some more stem/floating ones.

Thanks..... Is the HI/HO all about the bulb or about the fitting too? I only ask as I am wondering if I can replace the current HO bulbs with bulbs that are not HO? ie.... will the unit allow for it?

....... and I'm guessing there is no easy way to measure PAR? Given that wpg is used as a rough guideline, how should I measure the amount of light I need to order and whether or not that light should have/needs a reflector? Also.... is HI/HO more powerful than a standard T5? and if so, how do...

Also... how should T5 'HiLites' be measured? Are these considered to be stronger than their equivalent wattage counterparts? I am about to order some bulbs from Lampspecs and really need an idea of what i should be looking at. Given the size of my setup, I think I need the 849mm length and in...

Hey, After reading a reply in a thread that I am subscribed to it prompted a question (that was unrelated to the thread). I have just built a Walstad style tank and am worrying a little about the light I have in the tank. I currently have 2x45w T5 HiLite and a RIO 180 tank. Thus I have around...

I might be wrong, but I think watts is measured per gallon, not per litre.... or at least the standard measurement is per gallon. Thus I would think that you have 40 gallons. Therefore you have 135w / 40 = 3.4 watts per gallon. Which, from what I gather is a fair amount. Of course, I am a...

Hi RolyMo, A word of warning... check out your lights and see how powerfull they are. I have the same tank as you and I have two T5 45watt HiLite, which given I am going for lowtech is way way to much light. If you are dosing and using CO2 then it may be fine, but if not, you find yourself...

On another note, I have removed more water in an attempt to reduce the temperature and I have managed to lower it to around 25 or so, which is about where I want it. I'm pulling the heater out every 10/15 mins or so to see if it's hot vs the temperature gauge on the front and side of the tank...

GOOD!!!! :D That is exactly what I want. I think the Walstad method works better with ever more dense planting. In fact I am a little concerned that perhaps mine isnt dense enough and will look to put some more in over the next few days. LOL... sadly this is not my first attempt, but...

Looking good! And that is quite some setup for a first tank too.... Keep posting...... there are some terrifically helpful people on these forums, so keep posting with updates and any issues that arise and help is just around the corner :) I wouldn't worry about lack of planning or just...

Not sure how this will show up, but the tank was very cloudy this morning: My water temperature crept up over night. For some reason my heater seems to have lost its numbers, so I have no idea how warm I am setting it. I thought I had turned it down last night, but the water was pushing...

Some close up shots from last night:

Re: High-energy soil-substrate layout Tim, What's your view on nutrients being available in the water column for those types of plants that do not have roots, I'm thinking of all floating plants and Anubias? Regards

Thanks for the answer Ben! Can I ask what you mean by 'creep' though? Regards

I really like the look of this plant: and was hoping someone might be able to tell me what it is and if it will do well in a lowtech tank? Regards

So.... the final shot: The tank is full now. I still dont have a full filter set running so I am not sure how long it might remain cloudy. I am really happy with the black background as it really highlights the green of the new plants, however it is evident that I need more plants and will...

Full tank shot as it fills:

So, I think I've finished the planting of the tank. Though I have a few plants floating around that I need to decide on where they go. Here are some random photo's of the process along with the names of the plants that have gone into the tank. Way to much Moss, don't worry, I'm not serving it...

3. After a suggestion from someone highly respected on these forums I am looking at switching around my Juwel filter a little bit. I am going to remove three quarters of the sponges and use ceramic media in the filter. I was originally directed to a site that I cannot seem to find now, but the...

Thanks for the support and kind words chaps...... I have written the list of plants down and am about to head down to the garden center to see what they have. I guess one of the downsides to receiving vouchers for my birthday is that I am going to be somewhat limited to what they have in stock...

Liviging Waters is where I picked up my little pack. Though to be fair, I wouldn't go all the way there just to pick up some Moss.... you can get that over the internet easy enough (though a whole little tray was only £5 there), but it's worth combining the visit for when you have more time as...

Thanks for the response and without providing a direct answer you have probably answered most of my questions...... Though, I am sure you already know that :) Also.... you have just saved me approximately £20, which is great too. I am following the Walstad style tank and I hope that I have...

Re: High-energy soil-substrate layout Given your success's I'd imagine you will be competing with Tropica soon :D

Lovely........ and even with the planting and the removal of the wood 'issues' you made it seem effortless. Looks fantastic.

Re: High-energy soil-substrate layout Trust me to start a journal the same day as you........... :lol: Going to be following yours very closely..........

Hi, I've plucked up the courage to post a journal about my new tank. There are two reasons behind this. 1. I have quite a bit of time on my hands and 2. When it starts to go wrong, you'll have history and have walked this path together and you'll be able to help me........ at least that is...

Hey, After a strong recommendation I am going to be playing around with my Juwel filter shortly and creating a hybrid sponge/ceramic setup. I have a RIO internal filter and the plan is to have the following (bottom up). 2 blue course pads 1/2 bags of fluval ceramic media 1 blue fine pad 1...

Someone else has just told me that I am going to have way to much light in the tank. So, here are my options and some questions: 1. Use reflectors but in reverse. If so, how should I angle them? 2. Disconnect a single bulb as per previous diagram (thanks again). If I do this, which should I...

thanks chaps.

Mind if i just jump in on the end of this? This is my brief report: Hi, Rather than starting a new thread, I hope you don't mind if I hijack a little. This is the minor detail report from my area of Thames Water: Water supply zone Total hardness (various measurements) mgl CaCO3 (ppm)...

Hey, I thought I'd post this as I have found it awesome to use. I 'think' it's only available for uses of Firefox (Mozilla) internet browsers, though there is a website by the same name - I hasten to add, I did not get it from the website I got this from the link below. This Firefox add-on...

Following a visit last week to Living Waters in Croydon, I too would like to recomend these chaps. Proper "Spit and sawdust", so don't expect wonderfully clean and shiney framed tanks with tiled flooring and nice lighting etc. It's tanks, tanks and more tanks. I'd say that around 75% are...

Thanks for the replies. Troi - I had read about this, but I'm not sure where. I had read that if I put enough water into the tank to make the soil very moist and a bit more workable this would speed up the mineralization process....... Though, being partway through Walstad's book, I know she...

Actualy, the chaps I sent a mail to have not replied, so this could still be an option for me. I'll have a look at these bio rings. Which I assume are probably available on ebay. Thanks. Lee

Great idea. I'll be doing that :) Thanks

Are all snails and shrimp compatible with eachother? I mean will larger shrimp eat the smaller ones etc etc.

I think that I'll stick with the filer pads for now.... I understaking, for me, a massive project and that just sounds like another thing that can go wrong for me. If I looked to do that in the future, is it just as effective as the filer pads? I mean mine are usualy covered in gunk and I don't...

Thanks. I sent them an email earlier this morning :) What about the various thicknesses? Also. do you know if the filter works from teh top downwards or bottom upwards?

Hi, I'll keep the question short as I find that I keep explaining why I need to know things and most of the time i drivel :shock: My questions are in relation to the Juwel RIO 180 filer area and heater. 1. For some reason in the past I moved my heater out of the area that was designed for...

Hey, I am about to start my Walstad style tank..... eu naturale (or something like that). I have read in various forums about what other fauna to have in the tank to keep the fish company. I am looking for a range of snails, shrimp and worms (yes, I head they were useful too) to keep in my...

Do you normally just paint a peice of card? I'd assume you would use gloss? Regards

lol.... not yet. Seriously.... nothing makes me quite as indecisive as my bloody fish tank :) well actually.... (you see what I did there huh? :) ) I really like the idea of a black background as I think it shows off the vibrant green colours of the plants, especially Anubis and Moss, both of...

Guys... So glad I started this thread.....all incredibly inspiring. I was away and forgot to check in and i did today and wow.... just brilliant guys.... I've cleaned out my old tank and have order new bits and bobs (mostly hardware) that is going to arrive over the next few days, so I hope...

Knowing what i know now, I would guess that I don't need the seperate colours (apart from the black ones, which i have a 'needs must' supply of). A balanced tank shouldn't need media that removes Nitrates???? right?? Surely I just need varying degree's of density of the media working less...

Hey, Thats the reply I was hoping for! COuld I pester you for a link on ebay? I've had a nosey, but couldn't find it. THanks

Just been to Living Waters in Croydon after a recomendation in another thread to someone else....... What a lovely place. Proper, what I'd call 'spit and saw dust'. No pretty framed tanks or tidy areas...... its just tanks and plants. What I thought was great was that they had some sort of...

Hi, I am in the process of clearing out my tank and starting a Walstad style tank (probably irrelevant). Due to the horrendous amount of algae (and varieties) I had in my last tank I really don't want to use anything from the old tank. Even some plants that I tried to save in my nano tank have...

Wouldn't that involve having the container above the tank? I can treat the water as soon as it's in the tank. It wasn't the cost I was trying to avoid, it was the mess I'd create in the tank. If I fill the tank through the internal filter adding the water dechlorinator at the same time, would...

Hi, I am in the process of emptying out my tank in an attempt to create a Walstad style tank. I have a quick question. If I fill the tank with untreated water to start with (not adding fish yet) will that kill off the beneficial bacteria in the soil? I'm not overly worried about the metals in...

MORE PICS MORE PICS MORE PICS MORE PICS MORE PICS MORE PICS MORE PICS MORE PICS MORE PICS MORE PICS MORE PICS MORE PICS MORE PICS MORE PICS MORE PICS MORE PICS MORE PICS

Thanks for the replies, but please dont forget the 'whys'. Why tracing paper? Why sandblasted clear plastic? Regards

Hi, I am restarting my tank soon... going to be a lowtechy job ala Ms Walstad. Currently I have a plastic background which shows a typical river scene (or something to that effect). Just wondering what you all have and why as I am undecided on a painted blue or black or just leave it with a...

All looking good. I was reluctant to consider low tech tanks, even though that was all i was able to do, simply because I thought they wouldn't look good!!! How wrong was I? Lee

http://www.atlasbooks.com/marktplc/00388Shrimp.pdf I saw this after someone linked to it in another thread. Diana Walstad had great success growing HC with a dry start in a lowtech tank..... though it was 10 weeks before she added lots of water.......... these things are sent to test our...

That looks lovely! Do you have any fish/shrimp in there or is it your outside inside garden :D Regards Lee

hey, Just stumbled upon this thread..... I love moss's and was thinking about a tank with just moss and anubis.... but I have to get my main tank working first. I have an ideal position for growing mosses, along side the herbs in the kitchen :D . Can anyone please suggest a good source of...

Hey, I'm looking for some inspiration and wanted to see tons and tons of low tech (no Co2, no ferts etc) pictures. I thought perhaps one location for these lowtechs might be good! Lets see what you got :D Regards Lee

Love the big rocks. My only worry is buying them and not knowing where to put them. I have three decent sized driftwoods to use too. Might post a piccie or even do a journal :)

BTW - I really think this section of the forum should be a lot nearer the top. I bet half the questions in this forum are from low(ish) tech users. Until I started posting on the other forum I didn't realise how different it can all be as lowt-ech. Regards

This is what I am going to do. I'm just a little undecided on on a gravel and sand mix and what size gravel to use. B&G have, what could be, a nice combination of sand, gravel (6mm maybe) and some horticultural gravel (0-6mm). I know Walstad recommends gravel as it allows for gas to escape...

Thanks for the drawing..... If I only had one tube, would it then be considered a standard level or will it be to low now? Would a single bulb be considered a better option than using reflectors? I think the more I discuss it the more I move towards the Walstad method. As much as I love the...

I don't mind dosing and adding excel, so long as this is a once a week thing and it's in small quantities. What I am trying to avoid is something that needs to be done regularly and strictly, as these are things that I am sadly incapable of. ALso.... the Walstad method was somewhat appealing...

Thanks for the replies.... SAdly I can not turn one bulb off, and I'm not I'd really want to try and re-wire it... unless it was simple.......... I don't want to purchase anything else either....... If I stick with it and try and flood the top with floating plants will this cause a problem...

Hey, I've been posting on another website for a little while now but am struggling for quick replies as it's based in America and I'm in the UK, also, I've had some conflicting information on the forum (no surprise there really :) ) and I want to get advice from people that understand our...

Thanks...... I might look for some floating type plant.... I used to ahve something that I quite liked and the molly fry loved hiding in it too..... I idea with the grass at the back.... though not sure if it is visible (or even if it is grass), was for it to grow high and then block the...

Can I 'lower the light' by simply reducing the hours it is on or do I need to lower the power in some manner? Regards

My tank after a heavy trim: The 'Cotton Wool' stuff I refer to:

thanks guys for all the replies.... going to look through them now. Regards Lee

Re: Time for a new scape Made me laugh.

Thanks for the response Chris.... So, let me get this straight.... its almost reverse phsycology.... I have to much lighting and either: A) not enough CO2 B) not enough dosing C) Not enough fish to produce nutrients. Is that right? Regards Lee ps.... I just got some snaps, which I will...

Hey Johno, Thanks for the quick reply. I'll answer what I can now and the rest tomorrow (hopefully). Stock: 1 Blue Rainbow 4 Mollys 2 Clown Plecs 8 Tetra's Its a Rio 180 tank with built in pump and I also have an additional fan working in there too. I have the standard lighting that is...

Hi, I have problems in my tank and it's causing my, once enjoyable, hobby to become a dreaded monthly task (there may lie the problem). Sadly I am writting this 2 hrs after lights out in the tank, so I don't have any pics (will work on that for tomorrow). Firstly, my Anubis gets this...

Hi, I am wondering if there is much in the world of the above. I'm refering to Rocks more so than Plants as I know that plants tend not to last to long with Cichlids. Regards Lee

thanks for the reply. I have air on a timer which i need to adjust as I have changed my light hours and I'll be picking a timer up for the CO2 today. So I should have a healthy (fish and plants) thriving tank soon :) thanks again!

Ta. I got the cermic working. You were correct, it just needed a better pair of lungs or in my case.... a good release of CO2. I'll leave the Air to come on at lights out. Fish first and foremost for me........

Hey, I have two questions on my CO2 concerns for you fine people! 1. I have a glass distributor (I think thats what they are called) that I have what I beleive to be a ceramic disc in it to produce very fine bubbles. My tank has taken a bit of a back seat in our house and the CO2 ran out about...

Hey, I have just got back from this one: Euro Fire Protection Location : unit 38 Capital Business Centre, 22 Carlton Road, South Croydon, CR2 OBS Tel : 02089162010 or freephone 0800 316 7615 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              0800 316...

Thanks again chaps! Chris, it was your journal, that I read on thursday last week, that inspired the hairgrass idea. I have put a post in the general thread, but it has no replies about the idea too. I think I may follow your idea of waiting until it pops to do something about it. I have...