300L MA store tank - First trim

[George Farmer]

Re: 300L MA store tank

There was loads on interest when i was doing it It sits right next to a huge marine display so has some competition in the eye-grabbing stakes, but judging by the initial response I think it will do well. I was asked lots of questions, and gave a few demos of prepping the plants and planting them.

This is great news!

I think it will provide a wonderful contrast to the marine. Most marine is high-impact, in your face. This will be more subtle, more relaxing. It could well change the perception of the hobby for many, in fact.

Brilliant work, Tony.

 

[Tony Swinney]

Re: 300L MA store tank

I forgot to put the pics up ( not that they're terribly exciting ! )

This was the final hardscpae, with the Florabase Black added too ( sorry about the crappy pic, but theres a marine tank directly opposite )

And a few hours, and many pots later, this is it planted...

The middle foreground is glosso, and the riccia stones. Behind that and to the left and right is the acicularis, and the tennelus is around the back. I've also adde some Cryptocoryne Petchii in between the rocks as features, and to bring in a little bit of colour. We're going to add 6 more pots of glosso on Thursday when it comes into stock, so as to merge it more around the riccia and into the acicularis.

This is the view as you come into the shop. I've told them we should make the big marine cube a planted tank too

Heres the specs for the start up period:
120w x 60h x 45d (cm) - approx 300L
Lighting: 2 x 54w T5 - 11am to 5pm
CO2 - 8am to 3pm, many bubbles per second
Substrate: Columbo Florbase black ( 20L )
Fertilisers: EI dosing Sunday through to Fridays
Maintenance: 50% water change every other day for the first couple of weeks

 

[Mark Evans]

Re: 300L MA store tank

Thats gona look fantastic mate!

reminds me of the good old days....MA, scaping, displays etc etc (ponders)

 

[George Farmer]

Re: 300L MA store tank

Looks good! Give it a couple of weeks and I'm sure the plant growth will be significant.

Fertilisers: EI dosing Sunday through to Fridays

Surely they don't stock EI powders!!??

 

[Tony Swinney]

Re: 300L MA store tank

Thats gona look fantastic mate!

Thanks Mark, hope it does as the staff have high expectations !!

Looks good! Give it a couple of weeks and I'm sure the plant growth will be significant.

Surely they don't stock EI powders!!??

Thats just our little secret ! Given the instore option of JBL Ferrapol, I felt it prudent to give them some powders to get things going. They were going to get TPN+ in for me, but they cant stock it anymore

 

[Garuf]

Re: 300L MA store tank

Why can't they stock it? Maybe get them to start dealing with Fluid sensor?

The scapes excellent you can see your inspiration in it straight away, I knew the tank that had inspired your choice before you'd even posted it. One of my favourites of recent years.

 

[George Farmer]

Re: 300L MA store tank

Given the instore option of JBL Ferrapol, I felt it prudent to give them some powders to get things going. They were going to get TPN+ in for me, but they cant stock it anymore

Very prudent mate!

It is a shame the shop doesn't or won't stock NPK products.

I hope you can talk them around.

Hopefully the proof will be in the pudding when they see how effective adding NPK can be.

One of the shop's aims should be customers attempting to replicate your set-up using available products in-store. They won't be able to without access to a comprehensive nutrient dosing regime...

 

[Tony Swinney]

Re: 300L MA store tank

Hopefully the proof will be in the pudding when they see how effective adding NPK can be.

One of the shop's aims should be customers attempting to replicate your set-up using available products in-store. They won't be able to without access to a comprehensive nutrient dosing regime...

I'm hoping to show them exactly that. Dealing with a big company like MA means you can't just ask the store manager to order something for a new supplier, as that would mean accounts having to be setup from head office etc etc. There's no way thats going to happen just because I suggest it, but if we can get the tank looking great, and generating lots of interest and plant buyers in the shop, they'll have to offer a good fertilising product for their customers.

Does anybody know a good off-the-shelf product I could try to get them to stock ? Unfortunately it can't be Tropica.

Tony

 

[Garuf]

Re: 300L MA store tank

That makes no sense at all about the tropica. Seachem?

 

[George Farmer]

Re: 300L MA store tank

Does anybody know a good off-the-shelf product I could try to get them to stock ? Unfortunately it can't be Tropica.

Does the shop stock TMC? A lot of MA get their fish from them...

TMC are just about to release a product very similar to TPN+, called TMC NutraFeed. Hopefully by the time you convince them NPK is good and doesn't cause algae, they will be able to stock it.

There's the Easy-Life and Seachem range too, but I doubt MA stock them. Not as easy as an all-in-one either.

 

[Tony Swinney]

Re: 300L MA store tank

As I said Garuf, the product has to come from one of their suppliers, and the UK distributor for TPN/TPN+ is not one of them.

Thanks for the heads up on the TMC product George. They stock the new TMC planted range ( we're using their CO2 diffuser in the tank ) so they will be able to get that once it becomes available.

Tony

 

[nayr88]

Re: 300L MA store tank

Good start Tony I love riccia mixed glosso carpets.

I went into a Peterborough MA and they stocked a 'flora gro' fert and liquid carbon product, it was 1pump per 10Liters for the fert, and 1pump per 15L for the carbon, and at 8.99 each its good for a nano. But your finger will full of before you manage to dos a 300L tank haha.

Keep us posted mate

 

[LondonDragon]

Re: 300L MA store tank

Been busy lately and missed this one, very good use of the slate, looking forward to seeing how this will turn out. Congrats.

 

[Ian Holdich]

Re: 300L MA store tank

thats going to look good Tony when grown up. Lets hope the store numpty doesn't leave the lights on for the whole weekend like they did at one of my local MA's. The scape was really good as well!

Good work Tony!

 

[howanic]

Re: 300L MA store tank

This is my LFS and I saw this tank on saturday. It looks even better in the flesh and I can't wait for it to grow in. I will have to find more excuses for a weekly visit.

Can I just say a huge thank you for doing this. People don't often get to see really good planted tanks and the staff are always so helpful and friendly, its such a shame to see algae in their usual planted tanks.

 

[Tony Swinney]

Re: 300L MA store tank

Good start Tony I love riccia mixed glosso carpets. I went into a Peterborough MA and they stocked a 'flora gro' fert and liquid carbon product, it was 1pump per 10Liters for the fert, and 1pump per 15L for the carbon, and at 8.99 each its good for a nano. But your finger will full of before you manage to dos a 300L tank haha.

Thanks for the headup, but I think your right about losing a finger

Been busy lately and missed this one, very good use of the slate, looking forward to seeing how this will turn out. Congrats.

Thanks Paulo - me too

thats going to look good Tony when grown up. Lets hope the store numpty doesn't leave the lights on for the whole weekend like they did at one of my local MA's. The scape was really good as well!

Thanks Ian - I've had them put the lights on timers to (hopefully) avoid just that !

This is my LFS and I saw this tank on saturday. It looks even better in the flesh and I can't wait for it to grow in. I will have to find more excuses for a weekly visit. Can I just say a huge thank you for doing this. People don't often get to see really good planted tanks and the staff are always so helpful and friendly, its such a shame to see algae in their usual planted tanks.

Thanks alot Howanic, its nice that a member has seen it in the flesh and likes it I'll be in there late Saturday morning for trimming if you are in the area - pop in and say hello

I havent been back in yet this week, but apparently all is going well The CO2 and lights are both on timers now, and the drop checker is nice and yellow. Apparently the glosso is shooting upwards so I'll get in there on Saturday to trim it back, and replant the cuttings along with some new glosso too - i want to spread the glosso closer to the riccia and into the acicularis too.

Tony

 

[andyh]

Re: 300L MA store tank

I am currently trying to engineer a client meeting in Surrey, so i can pop in and see it in the flesh in the next couple of weeks!

 

[Tony Swinney]

Re: 300L MA store tank

Good stuff Andy - let me know if you get a day sorted

Tony

 

[sanj]

Re: 300L MA store tank

I dont know if it is just me, but dont you guys notice some of our scapers on here have a personal style that comes through in thier scapes. I think I have noticed it in yours Tony and in Graemes also George. It is hard to describe exactly, but its like personal handwriting or painting style.

 

[Tony Swinney]

I dont know if it is just me, but dont you guys notice some of our scapers on here have a personal style that comes through in thier scapes. I think I have noticed it in yours Tony and in Graemes also George. It is hard to describe exactly, but its like personal handwriting or painting style.

Hi Sanj. Thanks for that, though I'm not sure if mine is a 'style' as such, but rather a case of sticking to what I know I particularly like height in my hardscapes, and like mound style scapes too - those are probably my main pointers.

I was in the store today to see how things were going, and its going good The glosso is looking very healthy and growing upwards, the acicularis is growing at a rate, with a couple of runners evident, whilst the tennelus has quite a few runners spreading around. There was some melt on the crypt leaves, but I expected that, and the new shoots are evident so there's no need for concern.

I trimmed the taller glosso back, and planted a couple more pots to spread it out some more either side of the foreground, and to fill in the gaps around the riccia stones and back towards the acicularis too. I really want the riccia / gloss / acicularis to grow in amongst each other rather than having defined patches.

We'd been trying to get vivipara in for the background, but cant source any from their suppliers. They got some cyperus helferi in this week, so I've added a couple of pots at the back too. i think the extra height finishes the planting off nicely Though I may add a little more to the left and right of the existing bunch

Tony (sorry about the crap pics - its tricky with the tank in the main entrance to the store !)