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Dutch Donut

Been away the last couple of weekends so the water changes haven’t been as stringent as the other ‘daily for the first month’ scapes.

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Rooting is looking good though. Will reset the growth once we hit a month and get this thing rolling. It’s been the sort of lonely cousin in the house. Will bring it to life soon enough.

Once the light is turned up can get a reasonable estimate of growth rates of each species under the circumstances. Gonna be scissor happy, that’s for sure.
 
One month:

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Super lazy trim and stock back in. Already got plans to switch out some species but letting everything settle for a bit. It’s all over the place for the time being.

Really liking the Ludwigia Tornado:

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Propagating it along the back until there’s enough stems to make a decent bunch.

Will be making some exchanges with the 1200 for more colour and texture variation. Even with more colouring up of the current species it’s too similar from the middle to the back.

Pretty set on the Eriocaulon, Staurogyne repens and Pogostemon Helferi up front though. The latter two just need some height up the sides. The Lindernia rotundifolia would look cool as a rounded bush so is probably a keeper. Decided up front to sort the greener species first before adding in more colour. Can then mix in some of the more extreme colour contrasts from the species in the 1200:

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See what’s what in another week or two.
 
Five weeks:

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Sort of an intermediate post… This will be the second lazy trim since startup. Been busy and not quite found the time to sort this project properly. Had a slight tidy up this morning. Going for a switch around of species between the tanks when they’re due their water changes later this week:

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From the 1200 will be pinching Macrandra, Rotala green and H’ra as well as the unnamed green stem at the back:

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As for the 600… the Eriocaulon, Lindernia rotundifolia, Pogostemon helferi and Staurogyne repens are keepers for a permanent foreground. Just need the helferi and repens to gain some height towards the sides:

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Will also be keeping the Rotala wallichii and Ludwigia ‘tornado’ albeit moving them. Everything else from there backwards is getting switched between tanks.

Have to say that the Dutch style is pleasantly difficult. Made many many errors with the initial planting. Hopefully improve the lane discipline with another crack at it this week.
 
Attempt number two… Hopefully more Dutch and less Donut this time:

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Aware there’s still a thinning out needed to define the species out, will get to this next week once everything has grown in a little. Thin out/strip back the P. helferi, S. repens and Eriocaulon for starters.

Replanting out the 1200 quickly after the poaching took priority as had both tanks in a ‘canal’ water state. Also didn’t have the heart to throw yet even more plants out after the current pile of leftover plants from the switch:

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Dosing slightly different to the other tanks as running both ONF’s at 100%.

Daily:

0.5ppm N
1ppm P
8ppm K (approx)
0.0151 Fe (proxy for micros)

Water remineralised RO to <1KH and 5GH. Plain ADA Amazonia and a dozen root tabs. Tank now algae free at just shy of six weeks. Co2 running in the green, 2 hour ramp up and pH roughly between 6-6.5.

New plant list:

Blyxa japonica
Eriocaulon cinereum
Hottonia palustris
Limnophila hippuridoides
Lindernia rotundifolia
Ludwigia palustris
Ludwigia tornado
Myriophyllum mattogrossense (small bunch for keepsake)
Mystery green plant with red buds at internodes
Pogostemon erectus
Pogostemon helferi
Rotala green
Rotala H’ra
Rotala wallichii
Staurogyne repens

Ten species or less rule didn’t last long 🤭
 
Geoffrey Rea said:
Also didn’t have the heart to throw yet even more plants out after the current pile of leftover plants from the switch:

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Click to expand...
Lol it looks like a stall at a local farmers market.

Tank looks amazing btw, definitely Dutch, not so much doughnut.
 
Hi Geoffrey,
Aquarium looks lovely but a question. Are your Eriocaulons Tropica 1-2-Grow?
The pot I bought consisted of very small ones (although plentiful) which when planted produced lots of flowers but the leaves slowly withered away apart from one which appears to be growing well.
The 2 Australe I purchased from Roland are also growing well so I'm unsure as the cause.
Many thanks!
 
Hey Bazz.

They are Tropica’s Eriocaulon cinereum 1-2-Grow offering yes. Not had great success with them before now either.

This time they were planted into fresh soil and have been pulling the flowers out frequently. Seem to like this. They will flower frequently so it’s just a case of dunking your hand in and pulling them out as and when.
 
Quick snap of the White Clouds:

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It’s rare they swim in any sort of formation. Didn’t keep it together for very long but looked cool whilst it lasted.
 
Decent shot of the R. macrandra a week after the tops were cut off and planted:

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If you look closely you can see the algae that has set up shop on the lower leaves since the plants were transplanted. This won’t occur on the new growth going forwards (or upwards). Have repeatedly found after planting tops that once the roots get stuck in proper the lower leaves clear up with decent pearling. Oxygen clears it off the leaf and/or the plant defends its surface... one for the boffins rather than yours truly.

The point is you can watch this happen with each topping and replanting. No need for amano shrimp etc. Just a process whilst the stem is on the back foot and an indirect means of estimating how the new roots are getting on without X-ray vision.


Also… additional species added:
  • Cuphea anagalloidea
  • Hyptis lorentziana
  • Rotala Pearl
  • Syngonanthus macrocaulon
 
Seems this tank is here for a good shakedown of all the trouble shooting knowledge you acquire.

So far…

BGA:

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This came early on. Plants from the grow houses had BGA on the rockwool. Knew this was a lottery going in and at startup things went well. Then it appeared in the substrate and on the leaves closest to the substrate tank-wide with rapid spreading.

Treatment:

Excess light blocked out but all other settings left. Phyton-Git Sol injected along the glass beneath the substrate, one capful of Phyton-Git Sol poured into the water column, daily water change for seven days with repeated application. Problem solved.

Next test… Green gain bottle. Old. Six drips required. On drip five the dispensing hole plastic thingy gave and half the bottle poured in 😂 😂 😂

Diatoms.

Treatment:

Same settings and a couple of water changes then all was well.

Next…

Electrical work on the house. Consumer board switched off in the morning. On turning the power back on the Co2 timer stayed in the off position with nearly a full photo period with no input and high light.

Oedogonium and Rhizoclonium; both commonplace with low Co2 and lean water column dosing. Pretty much on everything tank wide.

Treatment:

Make sure Co2 is actually on, settings the same. Daily glutaraldehyde, influx of Yellow Sakura shrimp and one Otto from the 1200 to keep healthy growth clean and growing.

Eleven days on:

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Eriocaulon bit the bullet. Can live with that, replaced with some AR mini from the 1200. The main concern was the new Cuphea anagalloidea, Hyptis lorentziana, Rotala Pearl and Syngonanthus macrocaulon. They barely had time to root before the onslaught but seem to have dealt with it admirably.

Continuing with the daily Glutaraldehyde for a little longer until convinced the tank is in the clear. Downside is with the Glutaraldehyde the plants are creeping more than desired, but a small quibble really.

The Hyptis is beginning to show its purple leaf form:

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The Rotala Pearl has knocked out a ton of aerial roots in panic but pretty sure this will calm down once we’ve got it into a steady environment.

Rest of the tank is on the mend:

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In an obscure kind of way it’s been nice to be kept on your toes so far. Everything else in the house is running like clockwork so can’t complain. But from this point forward it would be nice to just concentrate on planting out a decent Dutch. On that point, it is a rather difficult goal. Respect to those that do.
 
Nice work saving the tank. I was recently reading through the journal for Barr's "Dutch something or other" in which he left home for 10 days and the CO2 stopped after 2. The state of his tank when he got back is enough to make you cry and laugh at the same time. After seeing him save that I've realised anything is possible if you have the determination.

The purple leaves on the Hyptis look stunning. I can't wait to see what this tank looks like in a month or so.
 
John q said:
And let's be honest, if you can't, God help the rest of us" lol..
Click to expand...

It’s true… if this idiot can do it, anyone can. But haven’t yet, so will shut my gob.

Being honest @John q not yet figured out what makes a ‘wow’ Dutch. Seen a couple that just look wonderful but unsure why, that’s why they’re wonderful. Fallen into everyone else’s collectoritis on this one with way too many species rather than exemplary specimens.

Libba said:
After seeing him save that I've realised anything is possible if you have the determination.
Click to expand...

Only ever seen one tank that was not salvageable @Libba .

It’s pretty difficult to make life untenable.
 
Geoffrey Rea said:
It’s true… if this idiot can do it, anyone can. But haven’t yet, so will shut my gob.

Being honest @John q not yet figured out what makes a ‘wow’ Dutch. Seen a couple that just look wonderful but unsure why, that’s why they’re wonderful. Fallen into everyone else’s collectoritis on this one with way too many species rather than exemplary specimens.



Only ever seen one tank that was not salvageable @Libba .

It’s pretty difficult to make life untenable.
Click to expand...
perhaps it's because you don't really have a main "street"?
these two articles are very good reads if you haven't seen them yet.
barrreport.com

Tips And Tricks For Dutch Style Aquascaping

Tips and Tricks for Dutch Style Aquascaping
barrreport.com barrreport.com
cheers,
 
Geoffrey Rea said:
One month:

View attachment 171820

Super lazy trim and stock back in. Already got plans to switch out some species but letting everything settle for a bit. It’s all over the place for the time being.

Really liking the Ludwigia Tornado:

View attachment 171821

Propagating it along the back until there’s enough stems to make a decent bunch.

Will be making some exchanges with the 1200 for more colour and texture variation. Even with more colouring up of the current species it’s too similar from the middle to the back.

Pretty set on the Eriocaulon, Staurogyne repens and Pogostemon Helferi up front though. The latter two just need some height up the sides. The Lindernia rotundifolia would look cool as a rounded bush so is probably a keeper. Decided up front to sort the greener species first before adding in more colour. Can then mix in some of the more extreme colour contrasts from the species in the 1200:

View attachment 171822

View attachment 171823

See what’s what in another week or two.
Click to expand...
Looks great! The reds aren't the best but give me old school dutch vibes! I like it
 
This is the end for this project.

Started open minded about the Dutch style, but simply cannot muster a genuine care for this setup. Total respect for the style and all it involves though. Sometimes it’s just best to be honest when your heart isn’t in it.

Rather than showing prolonged neglect towards the tank, will be paying the plants forward to someone who’s starting a new setup this week to get them where they’re going.

As for the sumped AS600… it’s going marine:

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Will be setting it up as a reef tank alongside the 1200. Can almost hear people shouting “traitor” already 😂
 
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