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259L bookcase rebirth

Reflections

Here's the weekly update. First the full tank shot:

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Then some water change ones with reflections off the water surface - love the verdant look this gives

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Am about to do the rescape of the right hand side in a minute - basically putting in a substrate hill (with rocks inside it to keep the slope a bit better) in the back right corner. Hopefully it should make the rock in the front right look like it's coming out a mountain in a more natural way, and give more a flow across the middle transition section. Fingers crossed! 😵
 
Mark Evans said:
Crackin' shots mate.
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Thanks :thumbup:. The reflection idea is copied from you actually - this was my first go at it! Just need to get the tripod out (and buy a remote button press thing) instead of doing it all hand-held with a 2 second delay to minimise shutter shake - makes it almost impossible to get fish in focus...

Here's a sneak cloudy water preview of the rescaped right hand side. Think there's bound to be some major substrate slippage as the shrimp go exploring. Have done my best to shore it up with rocks underneath and some stauro cuttings. Plan is for the stauro carpet to go all the way up this, with moss easing the transition into the rock. Am pleased with the look it gives - much more overall balance to the tank.

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Quick update with weekly FTS. Looks like there's relatively little growth in the stems as I'm trimming about 15 shoots or rotala a week and replanting them into the substrate on the left hand side to set up a really thick bush there, and doing the same with the limnophila on the far left. Have enough now so am going to let it grow properly for a few weeks.

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Here's the water change shots too.

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In my opinion I think you put together the best journals on here Mike ... have just reread it all and its great to
see all you hard work paying off so well :thumbup:

Im still a low tech guy but if i made the switch i would be refering to your journal as a guide 5* bud 😀
 
Looks like a terrific set-up; never had an aquarium over 120 litres before!

Mike, May I ask what the name of the pipes are that you are using with your inline diffuser? I noticed you said they were not from an aquatic supplier. I tried to use the pipes supplied with my Fluval external filter to attach such a diffuser and it partially leaked. Due to being too scared to use the pipes due to risk of electrical fire I've reluctantly reverted back to using a in-tank diffuser.

Any recommendations on compatible pipes for in-line diffusers would be really appreciated!!
 
somethingfishy said:
I think you put together the best journals on here Mike ...
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Thanks – really appreciate it. Find it helps a lot, and I always want the more technical detail in other people’s. Though in this tank the secret seems to be just not tinkering with it at all: nice and steady.

KrisHumphreys1991 said:
Looks great mate! Nice looking stauro!
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Thanks – have hacked it back a lot to see if it recovers, and to fill in the other side.

ldcgroomer said:
Looks great. I've ordered the fine molar clay from your link.
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Good stuff! Certainly a lot cheaper. The fine grained stuff is what you want.

mark4785 said:
May I ask what the name of the pipes are that you are using with your inline diffuser? I noticed you said they were not from an aquatic supplier. Any recommendations on compatible pipes for in-line diffusers would be really appreciated!!
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The pipes are just acrylic from here bent with a paint stripping gun and a pipe bending spring.

The tubing on this tank is just standard eheim 16/22 hose, but any hose will do. Maybe this stuff. If it’s a bit loose, just use a clip.
 
Update

Have been manic at work, so done almost nothing for weeks. Then a big hack back of everything yesterday, particularly the central myriophulym, and the stauro, to try and get the right hand side going properly. Have about 15 stems of limnophila on the left now.

So doesn't look great, but is ready to take off, and the overall shape is better!

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Really need to take a shot before i trim it! Busy few weeks coming up, so next update in a month probably.
 
Very quick update. Done basically nothing to the tank for weeks apart from add ferts when I remember, pretty unscientifically.

Lights are a bit higher (30 cm from top maybe), and all growing fine, if slower than before. Water change about every 3 weeks at the moment. Life a bit hectic!

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Had quite a lot of subsidence on the far right hand side - might shore that up a bit, but waiting for the stauro to recover enough to get a proper lot in there for when I do.
 
I don't suppose there is any way to persuade you to make me some acrylic lily pipes? I have been looking at the glass inflows and I don't need the slotted end as I have the mesh shrimp guard. As for the out flow, I want to keep a spraybar and make one with acrylic that could attach to a lily type pipe. I don't have a pipe bending thingie and the crap heat gun was given away at a car boot... I'd cover all costs!

Cheers, Lindy
 
Here's a quick shot:

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Moved the crypts from the centre (where they'd grown from 'tiny' plants too small to see) to the far right, as am hoping the roots will hold the substrate in a slope at the back. Bolstered that corner with rotala trimmed from elsewhere, packed in tightly 8-10 stems at a time. Looks a bit unnaturally tight at the moment but will fill out and get messier.

Have also given up on an HC carpet at the front - every time it grows it either floats or gets buried - so trimmed lots of moss and put in some moss stones at the front left - so will be a moss carpet there. And have trimmed the stauro and planted it more thickly throughout, to encourage a proper carpet through the mid-left.

Moss looks a bit sorry for itself as hadn't kept trimmed enough and was browning underneath. Will be perky in a week or two.

Go with the flow of what is working, I say!
 
Mike, I'm just about to order 30l of the Fine Moler Clay which you linked on Page 2 based on your positive assessment of it. Are you still pleased with it? I've used cat litter in the past and found it ok, but keen to try something without the perfume and in a darker colour - this seemed to fit the bill.

Thanks, and congratulations on a stunning tank.
 
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