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Thank you! Yeah I hope those nights are behind me lol. I wake up at 5am now so there's a chance I'll spot it before distaster strikes at least. I agree on the botanicals. They really weren't planned for this tank at all, but now they're in there it makes complete sense.

Green Gain After several weeks I've noticed new leaves sprouting on the Bolbitis rhizomes and new (clean) growth on all of the other plants. It's been a pleasure to keep - slow motion but easy and healthy. I'm currently fertilising with Aquario Neo Solution 1 and 2 and Neo Essence at water...

Some extra small updates... I'm playing the patient game with this scape and allowing myself to be lead as it develops as opposed to forcing a square peg in a round hole. As a result, I've been enjoying looking at it without the light screen on. I quite like the contrast it provides and I...

Hahaha honestly I messaged a few people and said 'I'm done', 'I'm using a HOB instead'. The initial frustration and panic has settled though and it's running without a hitch currently. Hopefully that remains the case long term. Thanks dude! I didn't see antlers before but now I can't unsee it...

Midnight Scaries Right after filling the tank with water I had a total mare! I noticed that the filter was purging a lot of air loudly and periodically but I was hoping this was because it had just been filled and was getting rid of the air trapped inside. However, after that initial 24 hours...

Day 0, the hardscape is planted and tank is filled! I ended up having to discard a lot of bolbitis as it had been sitting in a bag for a month but there was just enough healthy bits to make it work, I reckon. It's planted up with Bolbitis, anubias, bucephalandra and a little bit of...

Also, I'm assuming this is the handy work of @LondonDragon . Look at that sexy integration! 🥵

Could start a business! 😅 I remember thinking that the first time I kept cherry shrimp. How wrong I was... Yes! It's the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast. They're a shop based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I've met most of the team in person and they're cool people, doing the best they can...

Oh, so you're the reason I didn't get to go to New York in 2020. Damn you Richard! 😅

Let's all do it together! 😅

Yeah probably a good idea. Sometimes you can tell which ones are the assholes from the shop! Sold.

Are you taking a break on contest tanks? Not that I'm suggesting you should get back to it, I'm just curious. It's great to see your tanks again.

Thank you! Yeah it's what got me into the hobby and I think ultimately what keeps me in it. As much as I love plants, I can't ignore that! I'm not surprised you had a massive smile on your face!!! Monterey Bay Aquarium is a bucket list destination for me, the place looks incredible. When did...

Small update... I finally got round to covering up the glue joints with aquasoil to complete the hardscape. I ended up buying a mini blender since I couldn't be assed using a mortar and pestle, and the blender will come in handy for other things lol. It did a great job of turning the aquasoil...

That could be cool! If it was a full aquarium it would be low tech and so a carpet of Utricularia graminifolia would likely end up straggly. Also for me, as beautiful as they are, mosses feel too high maintenance underwater. I would consider Suswassertang though... I've only done it once but it...

Thanks everyone! I'm still conflicted on whether or not it'll be an aquarium or a terrarium. I have to wait at least a week before I can get hold of tubing either way, so that'll give me more time to think. These are the proposed ideas below; The first is a terrarium with predominantly...

I have not! But I'll give it a go next time I'm in need. Thanks for the heads up.

The hardscape is officially done. I had this concept brewing in my mind for months before my move (even got the plants and sand already), only to get to this point and get a new idea. 😅 I put some houseplants in the tank under the lights because the tank is empty right now and then I...

The vibes are strong already! I'm a big fan of Sußwassertang. I like how you noted 'sort of' too haha.

Thanks Elle!! Yes, I'm feeling your pain on the shipping. Some of the things I've looked at have honestly made my eyes water... I'm so used to getting 'a bit of this' and 'a bit of that' from eBay when needed, but eBay is pretty much useless for this hobby in Canada. Facebook Marketplace and...

All my scapes are dead, push them to the edge In the whirlwind that was 2023, the first half was filled with aquarium joy; from shop visits to aquarium events, wholesale tours and more! The latter half however was quite the opposite. As I prepared to move to Canada, all my aquariums needed to...

I'm just imagining you doing this, straight-faced, in a high-vis jacket haha. Nothing to see here! Prescribed moss control!

The colour palette is awesome!

Meg! Welcome! I missed this journal entirely but now I've seen it I'll be following along. 200L is a solid tank size, I'm intrigued to see what you stock it with since you've lowered the water level too.

I don't think I have a secret per se, but I guess just a balance of nutrients/light/CO2 appropriate for the environment. Higher on all 3 factors if it's CO2 injected, lower if it's not. Didn't really do much else!

Just a heads up, don't bury the rhizomes of the Microsorum or bucephalandra, else they're likely to rot away.

The grey tubing attached to your stainless steel lily pipes. Are they silicone?

Beautiful scape and photography! Are those silicone pipes you're using? If so, how do you find them? Been thinking about trying them out in future.

Definitely recommend double taps! They'll make maintenance way easier.

Sounds like a very cool project! Would be lovely to see some big beautiful Nymphea, Cryptocoryne or Echinodorus that are usually bonsai'd by the confines of our diddy aquariums.

Thanks my friend!

Thank you Paulo! And thanks for all your advice on it along the way. I actually have this burning desire to flood the tank but I dare not risk it at this point. Thank you Jon!

One Month It's been a month since I setup the Iwagumi and it's growing in nicely! The whole reason for doing it this way was because of the time constraints and I didn't want another tank to look after. So far it's been a total breeze and I think as long as I didn't have livestock, I'd...

I can't wait for my kids to ask for an aquarium and for me to act burdened, but to actually be relishing it! 😅 Looks great!

I thought about this too. When I give the last soak I added a few drops of Phyton Git Sol which worked when I had the classic looking Cyanobacteria. Hopefully it works on this snotty stuff!

I've grown Utricularia graminifolia emersed a few times now and never had this issue with this snotty growth that is melting patches of the Utricularia. At first I thought it was happening to the shaded parts, the hypothesis checked out until patches directly under the lights came under attack...

Stunning!

Thanks Rosie!

Thank you Tim! Do you have a journal about it?

Really??! What a compliment, thank you!

Thank you Thierry! 🙏🏾 I actually didn't do anything to them 😅 I took them out of the scape last summer and they've just been sitting in storage ever since. A lot of them were quite green before so I'm not sure what's got them looking clean!

Thank you! I really appreciate that. 🙏🏾

After a gentle nudge by @CooKieS , I've decided to make a micro journal for a tank build I'm doing. (Tropica Substrate used as a base layer in case the scape is run longer term) The tank is a WIO 60F (60cm x 30cm x 22cm) loaned to me by @LondonAquascaper and is being set up as part of a...

Sounds amazing! Following with interest 😁

I haven't been in the game as long as you @bazz but this post was a pleasant throwback, and reminded me of when I first started and was obsessed with Fluval. It seemed so much simpler back then lol. Except the external filters. My Dad insisted they were Eheim! 😅

Glad it's not just me lol. The light is quite warm compared to the Chihiros. It made me think that it was probably artificially 'greened' by the lights. 😅 I do have some TNC complete and APT complete laying around. I also mix my own ferts for my other tanks so maybe I could try that. I'm using...

@Hufsa it could also just be Twinstar lighting. The plants don't look as pale in sunlight or under chihiros.

It might be hard to convey by pictures add it's more noticeable in person, but hopefully you can see. The plants have a pale colouration compared to what I'm used to, and I'm dosing more than what I'm supposed to (2ml per week on a 14L tank). Maybe I'm just not giving things time, maybe...

I'm intrigued about what your potential solutions are. Will you try something else or alter your dosage? I'm using Tropica Specialised in one of my tanks for the first time (first time in freshwater anyway), and I'm having lackluster plant growth/health. Even on floating plants... Could be...

I had great success with this too. It was the first proper aquasoil I ever used. Mine eventually lost its structure and compacted but I think that's because I used to rescape constantly.

Little update on the Utricularia garden. I think it's been about 6 weeks since the setup and it's completely uncovered now. I top it up with RO water every other day and mist occasionally. The plants seemed to take to ambient humidity really quickly and without skipping a beat. I had some...

It says that it's using 30 white LED and 30 RGB which is quite a high white ratio, which explains it. Doesn't say whether it's warm or cool though.

I changed the lights on this tank to a Twinstar 450C III to get better light spread for the plants. This is the first time I've ever used a Twinstar light and I can't tell if I'm overly accustomed to the coolness of Chihiros lights or these lights are overly warm. It's even changed the way my...

Love this!

Thanks very much! I'll let you know for sure. It's been in there a few weeks and it hasn't died! It's a bit hard to see it properly because the Microsorum is in the way. Maybe I should remove the Microsorum so it has room and light to grow better, especially once the new light comes. Do you...

Sustained Just a little update on the shrimp tank. The shrimp were driving me nuts by pulling out the Monte Carlo and every day I'd be throwing bits out or trying to replant them. It seems that they were eating the roots or something on the roots. I eventually gave up and replaced it with...

It's looking great! I actually didn't realise Helanthium tenellum was ok with Excel, that's good to know!

Looking good!

I don't know why this didn't occur to me either lol, but now we'll know for next time! How is the tank now?

I think the design of it is definitely impeding it and the colour looks different in the elbow compared to the 'bulb'. I'm also dubious about the drop checker fluid. I did notice when I bought it that it was significantly darker than the previous brand I'd used. Even after significant...

I think I'll try using the traditional one with the wide opening today and see how I get on. Thanks for your input, Tim!

I dedicated a whole morning and afternoon to deep cleaning this tank. Glass panels, lily pipes, hoses, filters, substrate and plant trimming - the whole shebang! There was quite a bit of detritus build up, I imagine from ailing leaves... One thing that is perplexing me is the CO2 injection. I'm...

Sir, do you have a license for that? 🚨

Hi Bazz, I didn't unfortunately! I bought two and one was in my old shrimp tank and it was doing quite well, but when I took the tank down and moved it, it didn't like it at all. The other one I stupidly put into fresh soil in an uncycled tank and that melted away. It's a shame because the...

Just make sure they don't eat your food! I wouldn't put it past them. 😅

Fairly simple, I'd say it takes not much longer than any other tank. The main thing to bear in mind is that at that size everything needs to be bigger and in larger quantities; equipment, hardscape, plants, water changes, medication, fertiliser. It can add up quickly but you also cannot deny...

Thanks mate! The Congos are very very bold. They might swim away briefly if you walk past quite close (I don't have a choice lol), but they're back out within seconds. They are the first to grab the food so much so that I regularly get splashed with water! I also have to target feed the other...

This is just the entrée 😅

I believe they're called heavy duty clamps or clips. This kind of thing: https://amzn.eu/d/3ln4Amh Thank you! 😁

It's Not Right, But It's OK... A month has passed since the rescape and the deathly debacle. I treated the tank with Esha 2000 and I haven't had any deaths or mysterious symptoms since. I don't know whether it actually was a problem Esha could treat or conditions stabilised but I'm glad whatever...

For dipping plants post-BBA outbreak, I've had great success with citric acid. I mix a teaspoon or so into a cup of water and soak the plants for several minutes (I've done up to 20 minutes). It works wonders on Bucephalandra without any damage to the plant, and it's perfectly safe for humans.

Beautiful! Love the retro stuff too.

@Sirkavu @Wookii Tracked down some thin bleach, in ASDA no less. It was well hidden in the shop, I wonder if there's something behind that.

One of my favourite scapes at the moment!

Eyes Peeled I made an interesting observation yesterday which was a reminder that knowledge in this hobby can always be refreshed and buffed. I knew using the fresh aquasoil would kick out some ammonia and so I planned to dark start the tank for 3 weeks whilst I focused on my 120P. At this...

Beautiful stones! Hakkai are on my bucket list too.

Yeah I think Morrisons or Asda will be the best bet. I'll check it out if I go past one! Thanks

Out of curiosity, where do you get yours from? I've always looked for thin bleach and still never found any in a shop.

Woe Is Me In the last week or so, something really tricky is going on with my livestock. I'm experiencing a lot of fish deaths but there's so many variables it's hard to pin it down. I'll share what I've noticed for my own records and also some advice. 11th Feb Fish were moved from the main...

Is it relatively easy to m bring them back? Hope you don't mind me asking...

I also didn't realise Buce Plant and ADA tissue culture was available in Canada!

Change of Plan I was planning to do a full 3 week dark start with the fresh soil to make for a smooth start but life and nature had other plans! I was taking plants from the holding bucket several days ago to visualise where they would go and a cherry shrimp managed to stow away on some...

This is really beautiful!

Thanks mate! Appreciate that. The light seems good (power wise) but not the app. 😅 Simple but bold was the aim this time. It should make it easier to maintain as well.

Utric Me Once I just realised, all of these emersed projects have featured Utricularia in some way. Why am I so obsessed with this thing? 😂 I guess for me it's the borderline perfect texture it creates when it's fully grown in and dense. I had some wood pieces I got from Aquarium Gardens last...

Interesting! I bought some to experiment as it was quite cheap for what I needed, however I planned to do a little emersed setup rather than an aquarium. I do remember reading the 'variable grain size' and thinking well what does that mean. It's almost listed as a benefit. Uncertainty is not a...

The cross section looks great! It'll look really good grown in I'm sure. What kind of rocks are they? From a river?

It's paying off! Slow and steady is the way with UG. I was listening to the Aquarium Everything podcast recently with Alex and she uses DOOA river soil for her UG and it grows beautiful. I want to try it one day... Maybe soon. Looking forward to your next update Thierry. 🙂

Overestimated Whilst putting together the hardscape I had to make some adjustments because it always looks and fits a bit different compared to the dojo. I used one less branch and none of the finer detail twigs because I honestly don't think it needs it. If I feel to later I can always soak...

😂 As you said the benefits will later.

Out Now I'm starting to feel a bit like Adele with these Tidy Jungle iterations. Slap the next number on the end and let's go! As each turn of the page comes, there's layover from the previous scape be it hardscape, plants, fish or even the tank itself. Although each one has been completely...

That is a very nice selection of plants, and hella lotta loyalty points, damn. 😂

I had no idea it grew here! That's really fascinating, and it makes sense when you look at how the plant is structured. I'm going Skye this summer so hopefully I'll get to see it in the wild. I guess in a way I'm going for a similar aesthetic. Contributing to the overall look and detail but...

Yeah I've tried it once and all that happened is it got covered in BBA! I wonder if the same thing will happen this time... It is a painfully slow grower. It was harder to do with rock compared to wood. At least with wood you can cut it or snap bits off but the rock is solid. Also quite...

Thanks mort! The scindapus is planted in pot on top of my wardrobe. It was so small and dinky when I bought it and now it's 8.5ft long 😅.

We Made The Crossing Now we've crossed the bridge, we're in clear water again! I had fun with the botanicals and the oddities that came with this tank but I'm a plant guy at heart and wanted them back! Not only was it very difficult to see the shrimp, the botanical setup was reminding me too...

Good question! From my understanding independent retailers who are affiliated with the project and/or connected fisheries will be able to confirm that if you ask. Admittedly they are way more prevalent in the USA compared to the UK, but some organisations here are involved for sure. I think in...

I understand, there are plenty of species being woefully overfished due to their popularity and many face complete habitat loss due to human intervention. Playing devil's advocate, I would argue that (particularly on the freshwater side) not all ornamental wild fish catching is bad however...

Great scape! Those lily pipes are also very cute.

Everything for a reason 😉