Dark Land (300l) - Now with FTS of the first days.

[Pedro Rosa]

Hi pedro, wonderful tank as always
Is there any reason for such a low dose of Mg compared to EI?

I don't have problems with low GH.
I know that this is doesn't tell me 100% sure that i don't need Mg (because GH is also Ca) but knowing the quality of water in my area i started to give lower values and don't really see any lack of it.

Pedro, do you use other "micro" or trace elements despite MgSO4? In my tanks I found that red plants positively react on increased level of PO4 comparing to NO3 (you already had that) and additional Fe.
Also, I noticed quite big heater in your tank. That's not big problem in big tank, but in my 60L I want to get it off the tank to have more space for scape itself, but unfortunately can't have external heater (Hydor, but also it has bad reputation, so additional temp controller is a must, IMO). Have you ever considered switch to external heater?

Yes. For the last 4 or 5 setups i've been using Chelated Trace Elements from Aquariumplantfooduk but have ordered this week the Drak Micros. I've been reading some good stuff about it.
I also used (every now and then) ADA ECA but when i started with the experiment i described it was over and i still don't have it.
In Lost Nature you can't find an heater 🙂 I use an Hydor and i know about the problems they're having but had no issue for the last 8 month (I bought it in December).
For this one i wanted a filter with heating so i never had the will to buy an external one. The heater is already out 🙂 (summer...)

 

[Pedro Rosa]

I'd love to see a pic of your back lighting, thanks.

No problem. I'll try to do it tonight.

 

[Greenfinger2]

HI Pedro, Simply Exquisite Scape Loved the Maintenance Video 🙂

 

[Mark Green]

That is one stunning scape and pictures you have there, so jealous of the plant health I thought I felt a tear coming😉
Always love a good vid, how much time do you take with pictures, processing, uploading, editing ect? I take it your using soft water?

 

[Pedro Rosa]

That is one stunning scape and pictures you have there, so jealous of the plant health I thought I felt a tear coming😉
Always love a good vid, how much time do you take with pictures, processing, uploading, editing ect? I take it your using soft water?

Mark,

It's different every time 🙂 The videos i taped them thru the aquascape life and only made the videos in August. Maybe between 5-6 hours to some 12 hours in each of the videos, if i put all the working hours i made on several days.
Pictures i choose them, then import the RAW images and i only make some adjustments in Camera Raw (Photoshop). Afterwards i only put the signature (they appear mysteriously on sites and FB every now and then 😀) and export them to 1440x960, upload to Google Picasa and post them here and on a portuguese forum to annoy UKAPS users 😀😀😀 ... and on FB.

I use tap water! Like i said before i like to keep this simple... i don't believe i could carry bottles of water from the supermarket...

 

[twg]

Bravo

 

[Mark Green]

Mark,

It's different every time 🙂 The videos i taped them thru the aquascape life and only made the videos in August. Maybe between 5-6 hours to some 12 hours in each of the videos, if i put all the working hours i made on several days.
Pictures i choose them, then import the RAW images and i only make some adjustments in Camera Raw (Photoshop). Afterwards i only put the signature (they appear mysteriously on sites and FB every now and then 😀) and export them to 1440x960, upload to Google Picasa and post them here and on a portuguese forum to annoy UKAPS users 😀😀😀 ... and on FB.

I use tap water! Like i said before i like to keep this simple... i don't believe i could carry bottles of water from the supermarket...

Loving the work, the time and effort you put into your scape's really is fantastic.

Only tap water, great know im more jealous..

 

[Pedro Rosa]

Almost the end of the road for this one.
Here is a small video with the evolution in several days in just a minute.

 

[Greenfinger2]

Hi Pedro, Fantastic Video

 

[Aeropars]

Thats a stunning tank and you have such confidence to put that tank together knowing its going to work. If I'd have done that it would be a guaranteed disaster 😀

What video editing software are you using there? I love the text breaking up at the start. I'd like to get that for myself!

 

[REDSTEVEO]

Sure. Ready? 😛

This is my recipe:
500 ml water
KNO3 - 45g
KH2PO4 - 6g
K2SO4 - 32g
MgSO4,7H2O - 35g

Start dosing 25ml x3 week. Gives me:
NO3 (EI advises 20ppm) - for each 25ml -> 6,9 ; so 3x week = 20,7
PO4 (EI advises 3ppm) - for each 25ml -> 1,0 ; so 3x week =3,1
K (EI advises 30ppm) - for each 25ml -> 8,4 ; so 3x week =25,1
Mg (EI advises10ppm) - for each 25ml -> 0,9 ; so 3x week = 2,6

Hi Pedro,

What can I say that has not already been said by everyone else, amazing scape, beautiful photography and video work, absolutely stunning. I like the stage at the half way point best, towards the end your dedication and obvious success lead to a situation where the plants do so well that the original concept begins to disappear. On the odd occaision where I have had some success, it was almost as if I wish I could freeze the development so that it stays at the optimum level for ever, but then that would be too easy wouldn't it.

Just a quick question on your EI dosing regime, from the figures above what is the significance of the (7H2O) bit at the end of the MgSO4?

Keep up the brilliant work!

Cheers,

Steve

 

[Alexander Belchenko]

Your videos become the more and more cool and professional, from technical side. And of course - your content (read: tank) is amazing.

 

[Pedro Rosa]

Thats a stunning tank and you have such confidence to put that tank together knowing its going to work. If I'd have done that it would be a guaranteed disaster 😀

What video editing software are you using there? I love the text breaking up at the start. I'd like to get that for myself!

It gave me a lot of work!
I use Adobe Premiere CC but that "breaking text" i've done with Adobe Keynote (kind of PowerPoint) and exported to video.
Funny... a new "exploding text" will appear on the next, and last, movie 😛

Hi Pedro,
What can I say that has not already been said by everyone else, amazing scape, beautiful photography and video work, absolutely stunning. I like the stage at the half way point best, towards the end your dedication and obvious success lead to a situation where the plants do so well that the original concept begins to disappear. On the odd occaision where I have had some success, it was almost as if I wish I could freeze the development so that it stays at the optimum level for ever, but then that would be too easy wouldn't it.

Just a quick question on your EI dosing regime, from the figures above what is the significance of the (7H2O) bit at the end of the MgSO4?

Keep up the brilliant work!

Thanks Steve. Don't know if you saw the posts on my FB timeline about the IAPLC placement but one of the bad things that many people say is that the moss grew too much. It's right! That's why you liked it half way.

That was a copy-past error from my excel sheet where i have the dosages, etc. Sorry

Your videos become the more and more cool and professional, from technical side. And of course - your content (read: tank) is amazing.

Alexander, IMHO the next and last one is the best ... kind like the last one of Lost Nature.

 

[Aeropars]

It gave me a lot of work!
I use Adobe Premiere CC but that "breaking text" i've done with Adobe Keynote (kind of PowerPoint) and exported to video.
Funny... a new "exploding text" will appear on the next, and last, movie 😛

Isn't that Apple Keynote? I've not heard of Adobe Keynote before!

 

[Pedro Rosa]

Isn't that Apple Keynote? I've not heard of Adobe Keynote before!

Yes, of course 🙂 I wrote "Adobe Premiere" and then ... the same! Sorry, it's Apple Keynote 🙂 Like I said it's like Microsoft Powerpoint, I just used it for the animation.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Just a quick question on your EI dosing regime, from the figures above what is the significance of the (7H2O) bit at the end of the MgSO4?

It is the <"water of crystallization">.

What ever it says on the container, all magnesium sulphate will be <"Epsom Salts" - MgSO4.7H2O">.

MgSO4 is <"hygroscopic">, which means that it will absorb atmospheric moisture into the crystals, until it reaches the stable heptahydrate MgSO4.7H2O.

The only way of keeping it as anhydrous MgSO4 is to heat it, drive off the water, and then store the MgSO4 in a desiccator.

It makes quite a difference to the magnesium content. The <"RMM"> of anhydrous MgSO4 is 120.4g, and the <"RAM"> of magnesium is 24.3, making the magnesium content 24.3/120.4 = 22% Mg.

For MgSO4.7H2O you need to add 7 x (2+16) = 126, giving you an RMM of 120.4 + 126 = 246.5, so the percentage magnesium in "Epsom Salts" is 24.3/246.5 = 9.9% Mg.

cheers Darrel

 

[REDSTEVEO]

Hi Darrel,

Thanks for the detailed reply, I have to confess it makes not one iota of sense to me, I glazed over after the third line😀
I notice the MgSo4 that I buy from Fluid Essentials is in a different format than the Epsom Salts, it is much larger crystals and is sort of 'see through' wheras the Epsom salts is a fine white powder.

I don't want to hijack Pedro's thread here with a discussion on MgSo4 I just wanted to know if he was using a different form of MgSO4 than the rest of us dosing EI.😎

Cheers,

Steve.

 

[Pedro Rosa]

I thought i made some mistake when made copy-paste for my Excel some years ago, because we only say "MgSO4 normally. Darrel gave us a superb explanation!
Have no knowledge to follow your reply 😀 ... sorry!

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I have to confess it makes not one iota of sense to me, I glazed over after the third line

Most of it just detail, the important thing is that it doesn't matter what it says on the container, in use it is MgSO4.7H2O, and this means that it contains 10% magnesium.

I notice the MgSo4 that I buy from Fluid Essentials is in a different format than the Epsom Salts, it is much larger crystals and is sort of 'see through' wheras the Epsom salts is a fine white powder.

It is usually the other way around with salts, anhydrous salts are white and powdery and the hydrated forms more "glassy", and sometimes coloured (like "copper sulphate" CuSO4.5H2O, the anhydrous CuSO4 is white).

cheers Darrel

 

[Pedro Rosa]

... Lets start to close this Aquarium ...

IAPLC #467... great place (insert other sad smiles please)...

The "two" final images.

1)The one I sent to IAPLC (still missing Rotala Rotundifolia, Ludwigia Arcuata, Hygrophila Araguaia e Hydrocotyle Verticillata)



2) The one sent to IIAC, EAPLC and AGA.



And finally the last video, from Day 181... A video much like the last one of Lost Nature.



Pedro.