first aquascape 30l nano

[Mrmikey]

Hi everyone,

Heres my mini journal on my 30l nano tank which I started about a week and a bit a go. I though I'd post a journal as I'm a beginner at this as you will probably see from the pics

I would give myself a 5 out of 10 rating and that being generous! Feel free to rate it out of ten as well. Hopefully you guys will tell me where I have gone wrong and suggestions be made on how to make it look better. If it involves moving plants around or getting new ones Thats all good.

Equipment
30l Nano cube
Dennerle co2 80g
Dennerle crystal set
3x11 w lights
Dennerle corner filter
heater

Plants

3x HC
1x dwarf hair grass
1x moss
1x Limnobium laevigatum
1x Pogostemon Helferi
1x nano petite (clipping that survived from old tank)
1x Anubias bart v. nana

Decorations
ADA Seiryu Stone
red moor wood
black gravel

Substrate & fert
substrate is Tetra
liquid fert by Dennerle

Fish
3x kuhli loach
2x butterfly loach
4x Neon tetra
2x dwarf corries
1x guppie
4x crystal reds
2x big shrimp (dont know what to be honest)

Here was day 1 when I set up the tank with the hardscape. I thought it looked alright and was quite happy but it seemed to go down hill from here!

I let the tank cycle for a week and a half before adding the plants. Picture below is my attempt at planting. It was tricky and I messed up my nice black gravel!! gonna get some long tweezers and scissors I've seen on ebay.

Heres what I've noticed over a week and a half since planting: HC has lost is viberante green and now looks a like darker and in small areas is turning a bit yellow/brown. It may be algae? or it may be dying. But amazingly its growing!

I added a peace of red moor on the surface to stop the libium whizzing round and blocking the light. Ive now tied it all in a bunch with some fishing wire.

Im finding it difficult to take good pics! Is there a way of improving them without getting mad technical? I've got a canon 350d eos.

 

[Nelson]

thats a great looking tank .wish my first attempt was that good.
well done .

 

[Mrmikey]

Cheers mate much appreciated

well, Heres the latest picture of my tank. As I mentioned in last post I'm starting to think I have trouble with my HC as its turning a slight yellow colour. Have a look I hope someone can help.

 

[hydrophyte]

That looks really nice. What a unique tank it is.

 

[Steve Smith]

I know how you feel about the HC. I've never managed to grow it successfully trying again at the moment though. It looks like it's spreading for you at least

 

[Garuf]

try upping your co2 and Kno3 dosing, should help, HC is very hungry of both.

 

[Mrmikey]

Thanks for the help but I may need a little more. what is kno3? Is that seachem flourish excel? I only ask because it frequently appears in posts about this problem. Also if I use that will I need to add anything else.
I have never used additional fertilizer in my tank and Reading about it is a bit hard to understand

 

[Mrmikey]

Well I was looking at my tank and thought it looked a little shabby so I moved a few plants around and added a couple of small pieces of rock. Hopefully the plant arrangement looks better....I think it does. I also used a wire brush to get a bit of algue of the big rocks. I've also bought some liquid ferts in order to help my HC. They are FloraGro - essentail mineral blend and Flora24 - Daily replenisher of essential trace elements.

 

[Garuf]

Nope, excel is a brand name for liquid carbon. Try upping the dose of that, you're running a whole lot of light so upping the co2 will help no end.

What are you dosing?
Also, If you look in the useful abbreviations thread that will give you all the answers to the most common of the ones we use.

 

[Mrmikey]

Nice one Garuf, so you think I have too much light? I upped my co2 and the drop checker has got a little lighter in green.

I only dose 1x drop of Flora 24 a day for last three, before that it was the liquid ferts that Dennerle included with the tank. So you recommend I get some excel liquid carbon as well or in place of....or both?

thanks for the tread I'll check it out

 

[Mrmikey]

Another thing.... might sound stupid, when the HC pearls is that because of the oxygen being released by photosynthesis or is it tiny bubbles collecting from the co2 diffuser?

 

[Garuf]

It's oxygen being released, it is also possible that it's co2.
Regarding your dosing I would want to be looking at EI, if you're doing from the bottle tropica would be a very good place to start, but that's not as cheap as EI.

Regarding your light, I assume you have over 1w per litre, that's a whole lot of light, try reducing your light by 11w and see how that works for you after about 2-3weeks. Keep a close eye on your co2, watch your animals, keep upping it till you notice stress.

My first steps would be to up your water changes, try 50% every 3 days, lower your light, keep your co2 high and lower your light, everything but your hc is very healthy looking so you're doing something right. Everything will fall into place. Have a good read of the EI threads and you'll know what your plants require you can work out from there.

 

[Dan Crawford]

Great advice Garuf

 

[Mrmikey]

Thanks grauf much appricated.

I have put your plan into action by switching of one of the lights and slightly upping my co2. I knoticed the bubbles get bigger as they come out of the diffuser, is this waste or will it take effect and be absorbed by the water. I was changing water, about 30% every 4 days... I'll now do it every 3 and at 50%.

Still a bit unsure about the ferts could you send me the links for the ones you think I need. I don't mind paying a little more for tropica if it's better stuff.

Thanks mike
Figures crossed it will do the trick.

 

[Garuf]

It's just the same, it's just that one you make your self and the other you buy all in one bottle ready to go.
viewtopic.php?f=34&t=1211&start=0
Here's the EI thread, it's a lot to digest but the information is invaluable.

Also, rather than just turn one light off, I would remove one light and move the other two so you have even coverage, just a hint.

 

[Mrmikey]

That makes sense so I've removed the dennerle light. Even though it's 11w as well it is by far the the brightest. So now I have 2x 11 w lights running one with a tropical bulb which is slighty pink and the other light has a daylight bulb in it. Is there much difference between the two. Only ask as I wanna get to matching bulbs.

 

[ceg4048]

Thanks for the help but I may need a little more. what is kno3?..

..I would give myself a 5 out of 10 rating and that being generous! Feel free to rate it out of ten as well.

Hi,
Yes, sorry, this entirely too generous. Five lashes with a wet noodle for not knowing that KNO3 is Potassium Nitrate. Please check this thread Setting up A higher tech planted tank

While you are in that Tutorial section of the forum it's well worth reading the other articles there.

As other poster have mentioned you have way too much light. This is like buying a Ferrari just after getting your drivers license. Immediately disable at least one of those bulbs, and I would even go so far as to suggest that you disable two of the three bulbs.

As discussed in many threads you may need to think about improving flow and getting it down to the substrate. This may require investing in a stronger filter or as many have done, using a supplementary pump such as a Koralia.

For such a small tank, and due to inexperience, it might be better to simply buy TPN+ which can be found here

Then you don't have to worry too much about the definitions of this or that (that's no excuse though- you need to keep reading and ask question if you don't understand something. Don't just do nothing just because something is unclear) Ironically, adding more CO2 without adding more fertilizer will hasten the demise of your HC due to Nitrogen failure.

Priority NUMERO UNO though is to disable those lights. They are killing you...

Cheers,

 

[Mrmikey]

Ceg, Thanks for taking the time to get back to me buddy.

I've been doing a lot of reading and its slowly starting to make sense.That link you put me onto was wicked, very easy to understand and just from reading it, realized I've still got some way to go.

Im gonna stick with it though and see if I can turn it around with help, it seems a cop-out if I just start again. Also, everyone would probably agree... this is a 10 out 10 tank so it would be a shame to deprive you all of my amazing scaping skills, incredible planting layouts and incredible photography... on par with National Geographic! who needs photoshop?

I've put the Ceg recovery plan into action

short term
I've turned off two of the lights as suggested, but was wondering if there is any benefit doing a 2 hour burst mid day using timers? Another thing, If my Limnobium laevigatum covers the whole surface would I need 2 bulbs then?

I got some stationery scissors and hacked back some of the algae infected HC and chucked some in the bin. The places where I've trimmed have started sending out sideways runners now... which is good. I ordered Flourish excel, iron and flourish in a pack of 3 before you mentioned the TPN+. I've only had it about 3 days but I think its making a difference already, somehow it just looks better.I hope I'm dosing right !! just to check I will Do water changes every three days 50%. my shrimp seem fine so far

long term:
Get a better filter, I looked at that Koralia but thats an ugly thing to put in the tank. Im trying to get it looking minimal and slick. Whats the the best external filter for my tank? its gotta be small, v.quiet and if poss hold a heater. My tanks next to my bed and Its on a set of draws. If I need to get lily pipes and any other slick looking bits so be it...This tank is costing more than my rent anyway. Do I really need to achieve such strong circulation as x 10? my Dennerle corner filter does 150l/h. I realize it probably only does half that though.

I will post a picture of my scape later, I added a bit more rock and have taken the wood with moss on out. Looked weird. So hopefully you'll agree that the hardscape is looking a bit better.

 

[ceg4048]

Ceg, Thanks for taking the time to get back to me buddy.

I've been doing a lot of reading and its slowly starting to make sense.That link you put me onto was wicked, very easy to understand and just from reading it, realized I've still got some way to go.

Im gonna stick with it though and see if I can turn it around with help, it seems a cop-out if I just start again. Also, everyone would probably agree... this is a 10 out 10 tank so it would be a shame to deprive you all of my amazing scaping skills, incredible planting layouts and incredible photography... on par with National Geographic! who needs photoshop?

Good man. It's completely pointless starting over. You'll only learn by solving these problems, not by running away from them.

I've turned off two of the lights as suggested, but was wondering if there is any benefit doing a 2 hour burst mid day using timers?

NOOOOO! Lighting is your problem. You can NOT solve a lighting problem by adding light.

Another thing, If my Limnobium laevigatum covers the whole surface would I need 2 bulbs then?

NOOO! If your Limnobium laevigatum coves the whole surface then take them out!
The Matrix has you Neo. Knock...Knock. CO2 and nutrients grow plants. Only when you understand this at a fundamental level do you graduate to more bulbs, and bursts and whatever hair brained schemes The Matrix has in store for you.

I ordered Flourish excel, iron and flourish in a pack of 3 before you mentioned the TPN+. I've only had it about 3 days but I think its making a difference already, somehow it just looks better.I hope I'm dosing right !! just to check I will Do water changes every three days 50%. my shrimp seem fine so far

Flourish is just a Trace mix. It looks good now only because you've added something which is better than nothing. These trace mixes will not fix your NPK related algae though, so you'll ultimately need some product which contains Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium (NPK). That's whay TPN+ is considered an "All-in-One."

Get a better filter, I looked at that Koralia but thats an ugly thing to put in the tank. Im trying to get it looking minimal and slick. Whats the the best external filter for my tank? its gotta be small, v.quiet and if poss hold a heater. My tanks next to my bed and Its on a set of draws. If I need to get lily pipes and any other slick looking bits so be it...This tank is costing more than my rent anyway. Do I really need to achieve such strong circulation as x 10? my Dennerle corner filter does 150l/h. I realize it probably only does half that though.

The 10X rule is a rating rule. Filters only produce about half their rating and you need about 3X to 5X in real flow, so as long as you have a 10X rating then you already take into account the filter inefficiency. A 30L tank gets 300LPH of flow rating. End of story.

Buy any external filter rated at 300LPH. Buy any well known name brand like Fluval, JBL, Eheim, Tetratec and so forth. I like Eheim, but that's just my choice. I don't like to get into useless Filter name brand wars, so get whatever brand strikes your fancy (obviously stay away from North Korean, Syrian or or other Taliban endorsed brand names, but otherwise you're spoilt for choice).

Cheers,

 

[Mrmikey]

Thanks buddy, I will look into getting an external as long as its fairly small that is.

Well a little late but heres the latest photo. HC doesn't seem to be doing much, I will order some TPN+ next week maybe this will help the plants to grow a little better.

I have also taken out the guppy and neons.