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Andyh's 60L kitchen tank

Maurits said:
Congrats with you Cr babies. Wish I could say the same, have a few pregnant ladies all the time but for one reason I never spot any babies.
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Check the bottom of your external filter as i always find some in there! :thumbup:

AdAndrews said:
I absolutely love this tank, Andy, so many plants, so much to be intrested in, i think its like the overgrown look, just full, everything right at you, awesome! :thumbup:
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Yes its a fine line between chaos and planned! 😵 There is so much to take in when looking at this tank, you never see it all in the first glance. That's part of the appeal for me.

bogwood said:
Thought my comments would get you out of bed Andy. :lol: :lol:
PO4 interesting,was not aware you were using it, tell me about it. What made you dose it.
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Ironically i have only got up a short while ago!! It is the weekend!

Po4 info read this link:
http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=8867
as always the UKAPS gang came up trumps and gave me the solution.
 
bogwood said:
Thanks for the thread on PO4, very informative.Amazing how quick its cleared your leaves up. One for me to remember.
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i also dose PO4, i find it helps all round 🙂
 
The aquascape is approx 3.5months old now.

So after putting it off for a while i have given my kitchen tank a fairly harsh prune, filled a carry bag with off cuts and posted some to a fellow UKAPS member.

The rotala was out of control, in fact it was blocking light for most of the right of the tank, the Hyrdocotyle was getting a little tall and lots of random ones sticking up and generally the tank had lost its shape.

So here is the before:
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and after initial trim
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Graeme, you were asking how big my hydrocotyle was, here is the answer its reached the surface! (approx8-10")
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So here is selection of the pics after the trim, tried to create the natural slope from front to back, quite hard to show in the photos.
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and an arty one......
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As always i have posted too many pictures, so apologies!

The thing that confuses me is i removed loads of cutting and plants and my tank still looks full, how does that work? 😵

I am planning a few changes to the tank in the new year and the addition of a few new plants and the removal/reworking of a couple of parts of the tank, so next update will probably be then. :thumbup:

Thanks for looking

Andy
 
andyh said:
As always i have posted too many pictures, so apologies!
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never ever enough pics mate. especially with such a great looking tank! that's what makes journals.

andyh said:
The thing that confuses me is i removed loads of cutting and plants and my tank still looks full, how does that work? 😵
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it is possible to over plant. I'm learning that quickly. 'Autumn blush' was typical of adding too many plants. It eventually gets to the point where it's way too much to even consider trying to keep it tidy.
 
fishkeeper said:
stunning tank there is all I can say

Well done!
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Thanks Will, enjoy your cuttings!

saintly said:
andyh said:
As always i have posted too many pictures, so apologies!
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never ever enough pics mate. especially with such a great looking tank! that's what makes journals.

andyh said:
The thing that confuses me is i removed loads of cutting and plants and my tank still looks full, how does that work? 😵
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it is possible to over plant. I'm learning that quickly. 'Autumn blush' was typical of adding too many plants. It eventually gets to the point where it's way too much to even consider trying to keep it tidy.
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Thanks for your kind words, i like the dense planting look, however i agree with you there may be a point of too much. I am considering the best way to tackle this in future tanks. :?

JamesM said:
Yeah, photos make a journal... I hate seeing just final images. Looking good too bud :thumbup:
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Thanks James, i like pics in peoples journals, and seeing the story rather than just the final pics. I just get carried away though could post loads of pics i have to calm myself :lol: :lol:
 
bogwood said:
Just looked at some of your earlier pictures as well, how the tank has matured.
The various shapes and tones of green look. as always stunning. :thumbup:
Look fowards to seeing it in the flesh, on our next visit.
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Yup its changed loads! Its never stops growing thats one thing for sure! 😵
 
Hi Andyh

Your tank looks great. cool pics aswell.

Was wondering if you find the Eheim Thermo to be a noisey filter, I am planning to get one for a tank that is in a bed room and dont want a noisey filter keeping me up!

Tahnks

My First tank - Help needed
http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=9068
 
Looks wicked Andy. So much going on, its cool, keeps you interested.
The Hydrocotyle is doing well isnt it. Keep it in control mate, otherwise its going to be a big job trimming it.

Ive just trimmed mine, right back to the root stock. Some leafs where around 6inches tall. Bet you wish yours was as big,lol.

Look great mate, well done! :thumbup:
 
junkboxhero said:
Hi Andyh

Your tank looks great. cool pics aswell.

Was wondering if you find the Eheim Thermo to be a noisey filter, I am planning to get one for a tank that is in a bed room and dont want a noisey filter keeping me up!

Tahnks

My First tank - Help needed
http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=9068
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Hello
Thanks for you comments. :thumbup:
The eheim thermo like my other eheim's is virtually silent, i have one in a bedroom in a cupboard and you can not here it all. Really great bit of kit.

Graeme Edwards said:
Looks wicked Andy. So much going on, its cool, keeps you interested.
The Hydrocotyle is doing well isnt it. Keep it in control mate, otherwise its going to be a big job trimming it.

Ive just trimmed mine, right back to the root stock. Some leafs where around 6inches tall. Bet you wish yours was as big,lol.

Look great mate, well done! :thumbup:
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Thanks Graeme, good point, its had a minor trim but like most newbies on here i am still sometimes scared in being so brutal and cutting stuff so drastically!

I keep telling you G size isn't everything! 😵 but mine was 8" 😉

Andy
 
Hi andy, as your tank is pretty much full with plants, have you had to adjust co2, and/or ferts along the way? i have added a pot of crypt wendtii mi oya and am going to add another of wendtii green next week, and am going to go for the full look (apart from the front open gravel, leading onto the mosses.. so im wondering if i will have to increase dosing?
 
AdAndrews said:
Hi andy, as your tank is pretty much full with plants, have you had to adjust co2, and/or ferts along the way? i have added a pot of crypt wendtii mi oya and am going to add another of wendtii green next week, and am going to go for the full look (apart from the front open gravel, leading onto the mosses.. so im wondering if i will have to increase dosing?
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Adam

Yes i have its been a constant observe and change type project, my indicator happens to be staghorn algae.
As my plant mass increased it became apparent that the plants needed more CO2, ferts etc. Interestingly not light. I tried upping the light to 4 tubes and that causes a whole host of new probs.

I have increased my co2 (1bpm to 3bpm)and also my dosing of my ada products as the tank has filled with more plant growth , i learnt by watching the plants and then using all the info on here which enabled me to keep it in check.

I have ordered a inline diffuser to help with CO2 distribution which should be here in the next few weeks as i struggle getting the right spread with a in-tank diff.

I also have added PO4 to help with a deficiency, and that has become part of my weekly routine. I am Still dosing everything else daily.

In short yes! :thumbup:
 
Just installed a UP CO2 Atomizer System for Plant Aquarium 12/16mm Hose,
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I have replaced the glass/ceramic in tank CO2 diffuser with this UP CO2 Atomizer i have fitted to my outlet pipe on my external filter.

Its seems to be a great bit of kit. There is a ceramic tube which the water passes through you then add CO2 and it is drawn through the tube and creates very fine bubbles almost a mist which then returns to the tank. In the photo below the CO2 is not connected at this point but it feeds directly into the unit via the connection on the top.

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The main thing i have noticed is that i have had to turn down the Co2 compared to the bubble rate used before. If you check the video below you can see the amount of micro bubbles that come out when i first turn it on. I have had to turn down the bubble rate of the CO2 since this.

CO2 Video *****Changed video to Youtube, should work now

It will take a few days to get it right but should be able to save a fair amount of Co2 at this rate.
Its going to require some tinkering but should get there in the next few days.

The positive's
1. The main thing is that the co2 is getting everywhere, the mist/spread is excellent
2. It has not effected the return flow rate at all in my opinion.
3. Very simple to install
4. Due to the efficiency of the unit less Co2 is required.


Really happy so far!

Also just changed to ADA step two today. :thumbup:
 
Day 2 with the Up CO2 Atomizer

It wasn't working when switched on by the solenoid, afte extensive research and help from an article here on UKAPS (thanks Chump54), :thumbup: i learnt that adjusting the operating pressure helped.

So on my jbl reg i removed the cap and used an Allen key to increase the operating pressure from 1.5bar to 1.6bar.

This instantly had the desired result and the filter turn started producing this mist once again. Lets hope that combats that problem. Obviously the ceramic tube with the atomizer requires more pressure to work than a piece of glassware.

Andy
 
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