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Amazing what you can do with a 120 litre "off the peg" tank. Thought I would add a pic of my Juwel 120 Lido.

I changed my T5's to the Helialux system on my Lido 120 and really wish I had done it sooner. The lighting is much more controllable and appears a lot more natural as well as bringing the fish colours out really well (my Cardinals now look amazing) With the addition of the controller my fish no...

I have never quarantined any fish. I would say be quite picky as to where you buy them from and make friends with the staff there. Hopefully they will tell you where they source them from and also how long the fish you are looking at have been in the tank. If the fish appear to be very cheap...

I quite like the Jbl sansibar range as a substrate, still quite fine but maybe not as powdery as the one in your pic. If you have any Corys or similar it'll probably alll end up in your filter

Probably won't be anymore light but will consume half the power of the T5's and having just changed to the Helialux it gives a more natural light and is far more versatile if used with thecontroller,and hey no large timer plug anymore:)

Finally took the plunge. Have to say very pleased with the new lights and how easy they were to set up with the controller. Fish seem to be behaving more naturally and are now not jumping when the light goes on and off. Nice to see my hatchets less stressed and swimming higher for longer. I...

Just came across this pic and thought I would share it

I did also find when I had lots of wood that formed caves it resulted in all of my corys hiding away even more and when they did venture out they were very jumpy. I do agree that once you have plants that have grown in and they are able to be out of "line of sight" they become braver and start...

In my experience the pygmys will come out,if the light is on in the tank but the room is dark. I find with all my corys if they can't see you they will happily come out. Although saying that all are fine when they are eating Bloodworm or Prima. You could try adding some larger corys in the mix...

Happy to do some pruning for the sake of a more natural light cycle, just didn't want it to be an inferior light compared to my current T5's. Does it look as natural as the T5's btw?

I am seriously considering upgrading to these on my Lido 120 as I hate the abrupt turning on/off of my lights which always seems to make my Hatchets jump. Does anyone think that the extra depth of the Lido would be a problem for the light intensity of this LED unit.?

Anubias in the end just got worse and leaves just rotted so have unfortunately had to bin it and put it down to experience.

I had the same thing happen with that plant, but actually saw my Amano's go onto it and systematically rip it apart, just as it was getting to be a great specimen.

I recently put in the same Ludwigia, I originally bought if for my small tank but found when it arrived that it was very tall and no matter how or where I planted it, it still looked messy. So I cut the tops off and replanted them but they don't seem to want to stay in the substrate, think I'll...

Not tried Tennellus yet, was going to add it when I ordered plants recently but it was out of stock. Thought it also looked quite similar to the Sagittaria that I already had growing. Did you have C02 in your last set up as well?

Thanks Greenfinger, yep just one of those things, hopefully having a few more quick growing plants will help keep it at bay this time.

Anubias now attached to rock with roots going into the sand and Rhizome sitting above the substrate, hopefully this well help. Thanks for all the advice, was all very helpful.

Anubias leaf that I have just removed.

Getting lots of pearling on my plants now especially on my Micranthum Umbrosium (not sure I have spelt this right).

Thanks Sciencefiction.The plant was delivered with marks already on the leaves.I was hoping this would just be a temporary condition. Hopefully using my EI ferts it will encourage new growth and I will be abke to trim of the damaged leaves. Btw great pic of your Anubias looks great, is it the...

Thank you both that's very helpful. I have only had the plant in the tank for two days so hopefully when I re-position it the rhizome should still be intact. Hopefully the cover from my Echinodorus will give it enough shade to stop it becoming too algaed up. I think I will try tieing it to a...

This is an example of one of the leaves.

I have just added an Anubias heterophylla to my heavily planted aquarium. When the plant was delivered I noticed it had brown patches on the leaves. Today I have noticed these have become bigger and it almost looks like it is going through some kind of melt similar to what Crypts seem to do. Is...

Always a good idea to get rid of your Juwel internal filter. I have a Lido 120 and replaced the internal with a JBL profi 901 and the difference it made was massive. Dutch style or not all looks good. Have never been able to grow grasses in my Juwel so will be interested to see how you get on.

I'm having similar issues with the brown muck stuck in them, it's algae; but also they have a propensity to gather muck in general I believe. I reduced my light period, and this has definitely helped :) How much have you reduced your light period down to by the way? I currently have mine on...

Pleased with my plants that came today and all in after an afternoons work, and even a filling inbetween.

Thanks Aqua360 glad it's not just me. Have re planted today so will add pic v soon.

So much brown algae stuck in the grasses that I finally took them out tonight as no matter what I did to clean them or the tank they just got worse. Have ordered a load of plants today that should be here tomorrow so will see what it looks like once there added.

Now getting dark green algae on the end of the grasses and brown algae in the middle of them. Not really sure what to do now, am tempted to rip the grasses out and put something else in. Could it be that due it being a relatively new tank I needed to have a few more "fast growers" in it to take...

Have used Eheims for years but have to say due to the cost am now running a JBL external which I am very pleased with and which also runs very quietly. Thought I'd throw that into the mix in case the Eheim doesn't get resolved and you need a lower cost option.

It's a very nice looking set up. I've used sand for years and have always loved how natural it looks with the browns of the wood and greens of the plants. I'm sure you get a lot of pleasure from it, if it's working and it looks that good don't change a thing.

I also end up with holes in my broad leaf plants especially my amazon swords. I too dose with EI. My theory was that the holes happened in the older leaves as they got to the end of there life as they also became a slightly crispy texture and lost a bit of colour.At this time I also noticed that...

Re-planted my sagittaria today due to it growing taller and taller, and some good advice from Aqua360. Have now added two algae eating shrimps from my main tank and am hoping that they may help to remove some algae from the grasses that keep getting it especially at the ends of their stems...

Very impressive. Great to see what you can achieve with a widely available tank. Just shows you that most aquarium shops could do this easily and inspire more customers to go down the planted tank route.

I have used one in the past. Foxfish is right it won't heat your tank so you will still need another heater. I did get good plant growth when I used it in my sand but with all the substrates and additives around now i don't think it would be worth it.

In my experience there is no such thing as a quiet air pump despite all the claims these manufacturers make, could you use a powerhead with a venturi attachment of some kind which you could then put in overnight then remove from the tank when you don't need it.

I have used both. Size of plants/portions seem to very similar. Only difference I have noticed is that sometimes the Tropica plants seem to be a more vivid green in colour and a bit brighter. Also not sure if Aquafleur do the 1-2 grow range which are really good and produce very healthy plants.

Thanks for your advice Aqua360. I was contemplating the same thing with the Sagittaria, had no idea it was going to get as big as that as even on the Tropica label it said that it may only reach 5cm, and in my other tank it has only grown to about 2cm, it must like the C02. I would love to...

Yep they are on the go all the time especially after they have been fed and appear to be very happy hanging out with my other full size corys as well.

A fine sand would be your best bet. If it has to be black I too would go for JBL Sansibar or for the natural look plain silver sand (which looks great with wood) In terms of syphoning I just use a normal piece of filter pipe and hover a few centimetres above the substrate to remove any debris...

I have found that Amanos of a reasonable size can be remarkably resilient to imperfect water, usually the first things to react tend to be things like Cardinals and guppies which you wouldn't expect to happen. There is also the possibility that you bought from a bad batch, but if you have any...

Thought I would add a pic of one of my Pygmy corys please ignore my Ram who insists on photo bombing every picture I try to take. As you can see ,very happy foraging in the sand, only wish I had bought more as they are great little characters and easily hold there own with the rest of my corys.

Latest picture of my set up. Have given my grasses a haircut as there was plenty of visible roots. Bit disappointed that quite a lot of algae has appeared on some of the grasses and quite a lot is now covering the rocks. I'am still dosing with EI ferts and my drop checker is showing lime...

Maybe also add a filter additive like Seachem Stability or similar to give it a boost.

With that amount of water it shouldn't be an issue.Would suggest you add something like Seachem Stability to increase the helpful bacteria in the tank and reduce your chances of losing fish. Just keep an eye and if they appear to be breathing rapidly be ready with a good sized water change...

Fascinating to see how it has developed. Maybe dry start is the way forward....

If you still have nitrite in your tank even at low levels this will kill fish. Do a large water change and reduce food to a minimum. Guppies are also massively over bred and are one of the least hardy fish you can add to a new set up.

If you type in Unipac silver Sand into a search engine it should come up. Think its around £15 for 25kilos. In the past I have bought Silver Sand from Garden centres which is usually even cheaper.

Fish will generally cope with high nitrates for fairly long periods of time. A good indication that it is high if you are worried about test kits is that they can start to appear sluggish and lethargic,as has been suggested a large water change is probably the best solution.

Hi I have mine in Silver Sand and they are doing really well in it. As long as you go for something with a small grain size you should be ok.JBL's Sansibar looks quite fine although a bit on the pricey side depending on the size of your tank.

Two cherry shrimps added today. Seem to be a good size and pottering around happily. Not really any algae to speak of. Just wondering when to give my grasses their first trim as I have noticed a couple with a few brown ends. The only other thing I've noticed which I'm not sure about is an...

Have done this using hot and cold water and Seachem Prime for many years and have not had any problem with shrimps or fish. I think it is advisable especially in the winter to mix the cold water with warm water as the temperature of the water is colder, and if doing large water changes can drop...

If you manage to get Amanos at a good size they should be fine. I wouldn't keep small shrimp species with my Ram. My shrimps are now the size of my Corys but my Rams never shown an interest in them even when they were small.Guess we all have different experiences.

If you add the smaller fish first and buy the Rams as small Juveniles they will be fine. For that sized tank I would suggest 1 pair of Cichlids would be more than enough. Rummy nose tetras or cardinals are always good but best kept in groups of 6 or more as they will then shoal together. You...

Esha whitespot treatment is one of the best on the market in my opinion. As mentioned earlier it is worth raising the temperature in your tank which should speed up the cycle. Cardinals are very prone to this disease and can get it as a result of large water changes if the temperature of the...

When you say the forktail blue eye are you referring to P Furcata? I currently have a Bolivian Ram in one of my tanks, he is kept wth lots of Corys and Cardinals and amano shrimps. He appears to be happy even though the water is slightly on the hard side. Rams like any cichlid will at times be...

Tank has now been up and running for seven days. Grasses are growing slowly but I expected this as they are of the dwarf variety. Really pleased with the growth of the Sagittaria Subulata I have not used the Tropica 1 -2 grow plants before but would definitely order them again as they seem to be...

Would agree 8 hours should be plenty as T5's do tend to give off a lot of light. I have plants in a Juwel Lido 120 and have grown most plants successfully. If your CO2 and ferts are right then you should get lots of healthy growth. In the past I have used Easy Lifes Alg-Exit for a short time to...

I have used Neutro C02 in the past which did help with plant growth. Easycarbo would probably worth a try as I know this is often mentioned as being a good product.

Thanks Alto that is very helpful advice re the co2 levels. It is hard not to get to caught up in getting the levels exactly right. I have kept fish for many years and also have had heavily planted tanks but this is the first time I have taken the plunge into the world of Co2. With regards to...

Have found today that trying to get the regulator to consistently put out 1 bubble every 5 seconds results in it slowing down to nearer 1 every 6 or 7 seconds. This has resulted in my drop checker turning blue so have am now trying it at 1 every 3 seconds to see if it will do this consistently...

http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/my-first-iwagumi.39718/ If you go to the above link you will see the grass that I have just used. I bought 8 pots and when separated these covered the bottom of my tank, there was probably around 6 or 7 plants within each pot. I use planting tongs to pull off...

Hi Heagney, I have two tanks running at the moment. I too would recommend Aqua-Essentials, i just bought a load of plants from them the other day all of which arrived in great condition and were able to be split into a number of plants. I also was able to ring them before placing my order to...

TMC were doing a set that were compatible with Juwel and Eheim tanks that were less than £145 so reckon there is a good chance that your lights could be reasonable. My understanding is that if your plants are well fed (Co2 and ferts) and the tank has good circulation, then the light becomes...

Thanks guys... I planted it with 8 pots of Eleocharis Acicularis ( dwarf hairgrass) and a tropica 1-2-grow Sagittaria Subulata. Thanks for the advice re the agitation. I have since discovered that my bubble count was too high for my size of tank and have now adjusted it to 1 every 4 to 5...

Found my drop checker still green this morning after turning yellow yesterday afternoon. Co2 adjustment needed I think!

No experience using john innes in an aquarium. I have used JBL's aquabasis under Silver sand and had reasonable success with plant growth. The only down side to this is you do get a lot of clouding when trying to re plant anything. I have just started a new tank and am trying Tropica plant...

Try the LED's first. I have T5's on Lido 120 and although it is a nice light I sometimes feel that the light is too intense for some of the plants that I have added. Reckon you would be better off investing in a Co2 unit and some good ferts.

I have also just bought this plant jonny. I bought the Tropica tissue culture one and after planting it in my new Nano set up (which is small gravel) i planted the remaining in my bigger tank (sand). It has been floating about in the bigger tank but has so far stayed rooted in the gravel. Like...

Thanks Boxerbrad, very kind.

Drop checker has just turned green and system seems to be running at 1 1/2 bubbles per second. Not sure if that's too much or the right amount?

Co2 soda stream system added after gaining a blood blister. EI ferts mixed so will say how it all goes. All hints and tips welcome as just starting out on this.

Planting done and very large filter unfortunately added, but no room for an external filter at the moment.

And so the planting begins.

This is my first go at an Iwagami using a Superfish Home 40 more pics to follow if this has worked.

I also considered a TMC cabinet with either an ADA tank or TMC tank but in the 45x45x30 (lxWxH) I was hoping to either use a cover glass on the ADA tank or buy a Freshwater Aquaray Horizon for the TMC tank. Has anyone any experience with these or similar combo's.

I also have been looking at the Superfish tanks after seeing the article by George Farmer in PFK. My only concern with the tanks was the low filter flow and low LED wattage. Is this something to be concerned about? For info the Superfish home 40 works out at £68 on buyallmeans at the moment if...

This is my first post on here and I am just starting up a tank. If I used Ada Amazonia with the powder on top will the powder eventually just sink and the two merge together or do they tend to stay seperate?Reading other posts it seems that the normal size stuff can move around a bit does the...