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first aquascape 30l nano

Since my last post four days ago nothing really has happened. I think the battle with the algae is working but lets give it another week with just one 11w light. co2 has been increased with a bit of excel every other day. Tomorrow I get the TPN+ I think it will make a big difference as HC hasn't really grow since for about a week. I have also moved out my loaches as they were foraging around too much. When/If HC gets thicker i will put them back in.

I've also ordered 1x pogostemon Helferi and 1x Heteranthera zosterifolia. I thought the back right corner looked naff so I want something bigger that will grow around the big rock and add a bit more high and depth. I may have to move the filter to the other side.
 
Well I interpret that as being a lot that has happened. Your algae hasn't gotten worse - and it was on schedule to become lots worse, so you really have to consider this a relative victory. The only NPK the tank is getting is from the tap water and from organic waste, so the fact that things haven't gotten much worse is also a victory from that point of view as well. The changes and adjustment you've implemented have halted the advance of the algae. That's a big deal mate. Try to keep things in perspective. 8)

Cheers,
 
safe ceg,

You're right i should be looking at the the glass being half full not empty! All thanks to you. There is a little still lying around, Should I excel directly using a syringe? or should I trim it? I've been using dental brushes to get the longest bits out... works pretty well:)

Do you think my plant choice is cool? gonna keep it low-ish just to grow around the rock. Im gonna drop another photo on sunday night so anyone interested can follow my progress.
 
Yeah, you can do a bit of spot dosing but dilute the Excel with water if you are spot dosing directly on plants. On hardscape you can use full strength.

Plant choice seem pretty good to me. Keeping it low up front gives a nice balance between greens and rocks. I also like that you used small leafed stems to match the tank size. I'm not really a floating plant kind of guy, but hey, if you like them then that's all that counts. :thumbup:

Cheers,
 
Ok I will defiantly give that ago as all algae seems to have disappeared from the HC just the rocks left.

Im planing on giving it a bit of a clean tomorrow when hopefully my Heteranthera zosterifolia and TPN+ turn up. I'm putting it behind the big rock and maybe taking out all HM so it would just leave the hair grass on the other side. The space this creates I want to put more pogostemon Helferi when there are more shoots.

Nothing really else to report on. Everything seems to have finally settled down, drop checker yellow and no weird behavior from shrimp/fish so thats good. Water has been a little cloudy for last 3-4 days maybe that is something to do with the excel?

img2492f.jpg
 
Cool, just seen this sweet little tank. All tanks go through minor algae issues, good to see you cracked it with advice from the great and the good of UKAPs! I love the mini CO2 cylinder, looks really smart. Keep up the good work, Tom
 
Yeah, looks pretty nice to me too. Forget about cloudiness for now. You're building Rome. It'll take more than a day to get rid of cloudiness. This is just The Aqueduct. Next comes the Coliseum and then The Pantheon.

Remember, do as massive a water change as you can, 3X a week if possible for the next few weeks. Do NOT even think about adding more bulbs at this time. The punishment for that is to stand in the corner wearing a dunce cap.

Iis it just me or does that light remind you of a hydrogen bomb detonation? And you want to use three of those? Lets get real. :geek:
H-bomb_2.gif


Cheers,
 
TBRO said:
Cool, just seen this sweet little tank. All tanks go through minor algae issues, good to see you cracked it with advice from the great and the good of UKAPs! I love the mini CO2 cylinder, looks really smart. Keep up the good work, Tom
Click to expand...

Cheers mate, not bad for £80 with glassware is it? made a massive difference to my plants they actually grow. Just checked your nano out i like it a lot... looks lush. Unfortunately I had a like problem when my new plants came, bit dissapionted to be honest, the Heteranthera zosterifolia is a little bigger than I would have liked. lack of experience I guess. My pogostemon Helferi is massive, the buds were massive about 3 times as big as my biggest ones so only used 1 bud to fill a gap.
 
After getting the plants in the post today I took a bit of a radical act and up rooted the MC and hair grass and swopped them around. Then I went mad and took another risk by pulling the big rock forward to fit the Heteranthera in behind, just to give it a bit more space. I then decided to move the second biggest rock closer to the big rock to narrow the valley. In doing this most of the HC came up, gravel got moved, substrate got disturbed and water went mega cloudy looks like volcanic ash all over the place. All very sad.

Anyway I replanted the HC and Hair grass so looks like I'm back to square one on that. Its a shame I think its put me back a couple of weeks until the HC grows out again. I trimmed the HM in hope it will go bushy.

Anyway I will post a photo tomorrow!
 
Here's my tank after the bomb was dropped! its cleared up nicely thanks to Luke my neighbor,he lent me his fluval filter from a tank he used to have. what do you think of the plant back right is it a little big?
img2512v.jpg
 
:lol: Good one Mikey.
Is that H. zosterifolia? If so I reckon it's inappropriate for this tank. It's a fast grower and will become a hooligan in no time flat, especially if CO2 is in good shape. Speaking of which - is that just the photo or is that dropchecker on the dark side?

Cheers,
 
Hi ceg yeah it is H.zosterifoila. The more i look at it The more It looks way to big. I think the corner definatly needs something but what? got any ideas on plants that would suit my tank? This plant wont go to waste ill put it in my 20l with no co2.

Ha don't worry about the drop checker I left it out over night, was yellow. What do you think of the hardscape? better? just need to get the balance right with the plants.
 
I'd suggest Hemianthius micranthatmoides (that will be spelt wrong) for that corner. I told you you were doing something right, just keep it up and you'll be sailing.

I'd advice that you stop altering your scape for the time being, every time you move stones/substrate not only will you be releasing ammonia that was locked in the substrate but you're also changing flow patterns which can spell disaster for carpet plants. It sounds silly but I added a extra few rocks to my old tank and it changed the flow so that the hc I had wasn't getting as much Co2 as it liked, a week later it was mostly mush, I took the rocks back out upped the co2 and it bounced back.
 
Thanks Garuf everything seems to be going ok. Growth in the HC isn't amazing but after the reshuffle it's starting to settle in. There is a bit of hair algae making a come back in the HC and a darker algae covering the leaves lower down. I'll try and do a close up shot so someone can give me some advice on that. Noting major YET!

Garuf said:
'd suggest Hemianthius micranthatmoides (that will be spelt wrong) for that corner. I told you you were doing something right, just keep it up and you'll be sailing.
Click to expand...

I have put a bit behind the rock on the left. Its in a bad way but starting send out new green leaves which is good. Hopefully in time it will add good ballance and then I can put the cuttings behind big rock.

I wont be doing anymore major rock moves I kinda like it at the mo.

Ive started dosing TPN+ as it came in the post. I'm putting in 0.7 ml a day, excel 1ml every other day, 1ml of iron after a trim so about once a week.

Heres a photo i took yesterday and the second one was a week ago today. looks better right?
img2535l.jpg
img2512v.jpg
 
Yep, looking better all the time. TPN+ has iron so there is no need to buy a separate iron product. The Excel should be dose every day. Save money and have better results by ditching the iron product and using more Excel instead.

Cheers,
 
Cheers Ceg I also like these money saving tips :) Ok I ditch the iron and stick to excel & TPN+. It should look alright in two weeks when the HC grows in. lets see what happens!
 
Now i do like that,if you stare at it long enough you could be in the welsh hill,
nice work,
regards,
john.
 
Thanks John thanks Dan. Im going to take a side photo and add it as well just show you see the view I get from my desk.
 
Heres a few more pics. Next thing to tackle...good photos.
img2572ys.jpg

img2569z.jpg

img2554m.jpg
 
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