Flintstones

[J@mes]

Thanks @tam I might have a go at the floater airline thing, got some spare co2 line. There’s a few more plants to go in, when they arrive.

I altered the hardscape slightly by adding a large Flint back left. I don’t know what might be residing on these rocks, could be some nasty stuff from the real world!

Using the 3 fert dennerle dosator system as it seems a good one although there’s a bit more stuff in the tank.

Got the lights on 6 hours a day with the co2 on 3 hours prior & off an hour sooner.

The sand at the front needs sorting out, it’s mixed up with soil, should be easy enough to fix on the 1st water change.

 

[Matt @ ScapeEasy]

If you find you get substrate appearing in the sand again, try wedding moss in any gaps between the rocks it is appearing through

 

[J@mes]

Thanks for the tip Matt, any particular moss? Would chunks of the moss ball work?

Day 3

90% water change to enable planting of: Marsilea Hirsuta, Pogostemon Stellatus, Persicaria ‘Sao Paulo’ & Rotala Rotundifolia ‘Ceylon’

Dropped the light in the tank before draining, by accident, no harm done.

I have a glass lid which has kept out a soft toy that got thrown in the general direction of the tank by a 2 year old. Would like to have it off permanently but that’s not going to happen any time soon.

 

[Siege]

Filter floss works well to plug gaps.

Also the Dennerle planta Hunter range works well to stack up in gaps. Will also give a natural look.

You could use both methods, work well combined.

Tanks looks good!

Ps. I’ve dunked the same E light of daves twice and one of my S lights twice also. No problem. Just wiped it off, whilst crossing my fingers!

I heard of a shop worker recently dunking a £5,000 Leddy LED light in and it was dead. Bet he wasn’t popular!

 

[J@mes]

Full plant list:

Cryptocoryne (Sri Lanka)
- willisii
- walkeri
- wendtii ‘brown’
- Nevelli
- Becketti

Pogostemon stellatus (Cultivar)
Pogostemon quadrifolius (India, Thailand, Indonesia)
Rotala rotundifolia (Sri Lanka)
Ceratopteris thalictrodes (China)
Juncus repens (North America)

Anubias nana ‘Pangolino’ (Cultivar)
Bucephalandra ‘Lamandau Mini Red’ (Asia)

Eleocharis aciularis (Cosmopolitan)
Marsilea hirsuta (Australia)

Limnobium laevigatum (Central & South America)

Cladophora aegagropila (Cosmopolitan)
Taxiphyllum (Asia)

A really eclectic mix, Hopefully they all survive & thrive.

 

[Matt @ ScapeEasy]

No particular moss required though I have used java moss with great success. Moss balls are not as successful for me though I've not cut them into bits as you suggest (though I know this can be done). I think in their rounds form they just popped out again or bits got around them...

 

[alto]

About 5% of the tropica soil floated.

I’ve had a few floaters but nothing like even 1%
BUT
- I use the Powder re personal preference, and as I like to rescape or adjust plants etc at intervals, there’s no worry over layering again
It’s more economic to begin with the larger sized AS, then top with the ~2cm Powder (& I did this once )- this is typical of ADA methodology (done with ADA Soil of course ) & makes sense for deeper slopes as aeration will be more effective with the larger, less uniform, less tightly packed particles
- I prefer to plant in damp soil so spray thoroughly
- I often set up my hardscape, spray rock etc to see how everything will look underwater under lights, so again have that downward gravity movement of water dampening soil, the plant the next day
Note that it’s very easy with 1-2-Grow plants to take a break between - just spray thoroughly, then cover loosely with paper towel (again lightly sprayed) OR cover tank with cling film as if doing a dry start

If Tropica soil bags have been stored dry for extended period, the soil can certainly be “drier” & more likely to float, if I notice this when opening a bag, I just spray well etc, then give it a day to absorb the water

Tank looks grand and plant collection sounds a good mix

For moss jammed between stones I’d use the moss balls - trim rarely if ever - just make sure it’s really snug as water flow + shrimp interest are surprisingly strong forces
Amano type shrimp are Champion Soil Rollers (another reason I prefer the smaller alternates)

 

[alto]

I heard of a shop worker recently dunking a £5,000 Leddy LED light in and it was dead. Bet he wasn’t popular!

I’ve heard of Lupyone LED being accidentally dumped without injury to person or light unit
This is really what that waterproof rating is supposed to guarantee

Of course my experience with falling into water T5 units has been rather too tingly ... both worked again though one did blow the power breaker (thankfully)

 

[alto]

ould like to have it off permanently but that’s not going to happen any time soon.

Just get one of those (mosquito) net affairs to drape over the tank & vicinity

 

[J@mes]

Maybe I was exaggerating with 5% could’ve been 1% I was tense it was a tense moment...

Lucky escape # 2 this evening. As I was maintaining the tank I propped the glass lid up (with a fork, I know I know) turned round and bang! Fork on the floor glass lid 1” into the tank, luckily still in 1 piece, the skimmer had cushioned its fall & it stayed on the the back clips. Made me jump though! A mosquito net would be a safer option for a clutz like me

After an evening of tinkering I feel I should post a photo. I only have a camera on my phone & a dslr is now on the shopping list.

 

[J@mes]

More newb mistakes to add to the ‘don’t do it like this’ list.

Never thought to check the tank level with a spirit. Now it’s full (I cba with the glass lid) & the water level shows it up. I’m talking 4mm difference front to back & 2 mm side to side, when full to the brim it’s more noticeable. These days most cabinets have adjustable legs or feet but this one is like a MFI kitchen unit from the 80’s with panels to the floor, not that I can blame the cabinet!

Day 7

11 Amano shrimp added to the tank. 50% water change, accidentally pulled the hose off the filter outlet whilst moving the filter & blind panic ensues = 15+/- litres of aquarium water on the floor before getting things under control. Note to self - don’t rely on the fixings supplied (or turn the power off 1st)! Jubilee clips now secure inlet/ outlet hoses to filter.

Day 8

Gassed the shrimp. Due to having a day off prior where I had been ‘adjusting’ the needle valve. Came home from work to find all but 1 of them in death rolls. 1 emergency water change later + 3 hours of mechanical aeration it looks like a narrow escape from the proverbial jaws for all the shrimp.

In other news there’s crypt melt, in vitro plants (from overseas) that were probably doomed from the start and a 2nd dunking of the LED light. The good news is the tank still looks good & I haven’t given up.

My tap water:

I plugged the heater back in as the temp. has dropped 2 degrees in the last 2 days, currently 20.6 deg c.

 

[alto]

I’d check in with EA in regards the un-level situations ... in a braced tank or rimmed tank, these differences would be irrelevant as long as there’s no diagonal twist

on the filter situation - which filter - I’ve never had hoses slip on my Eheims
(my Fluval canister experience was leaky boat syndrome ... after every clean, they’d slowly leak for the next couple days ... & sometimes just because... )

Lucky the shrimp recovered - just add some surface agitation to limit this possibility OR add in a Twinstar Nano

Hmmmmm .... exactly how are you managing to bathe your LED light so efficiently

Crypt melt - not unexpected, I’m surprised when they don’t melt (though some species do seem much more melt resistant) - just trim the leafs & syphon any gunky (it’s definitely contagious between crypts)

Which in vitro plants?
Unless there’s an issue during shipping (usually too hot) most in vitro travel extremely well

 

[J@mes]

I’d check in with EA in regards the un-level situations ... in a braced tank or rimmed tank, these differences would be irrelevant as long as there’s no diagonal twist

Good idea, I did consider if it would affect the pressure on the joins & cause a failure. It’s on a solid wood parké style floor with a concrete subfloor so 100l on the floor would likely destroy it! (Goes to check insurance) if I had levelled the cabinet using shims or similar I suppose that might also put additional strain on it.

on the filter situation - which filter - I’ve never had hoses slip on my Eheims
(my Fluval canister experience was leaky boat syndrome ... after every clean, they’d slowly leak for the next couple days ... & sometimes just because... )

It’s the Oase Biomaster 600, there are some blue screw down collars to secure the pipes but they don’t really do the job, the pipes definitely aren’t coming off now!

Lucky the shrimp recovered - just add some surface agitation to limit this possibility OR add in a Twinstar Nano

So there’s a twinstar and a Söchting Oxydator in there already but is it worth adding an air stone, would it oxygenate the water or be counterproductive? I can keep raising the lily pipe at night I suppose.

Hmmmmm .... exactly how are you managing to bathe your LED light so efficiently

Crypt melt - not unexpected, I’m surprised when they don’t melt (though some species do seem much more melt resistant) - just trim the leafs & syphon any gunky (it’s definitely contagious between crypts)

Which in vitro plants?
Unless there’s an issue during shipping (usually too hot) most in vitro travel extremely well

Regards the light bath -it’s a gift I have for being clumsy! I like the light resting on the tank rather than a fixed/ suspended type because the effect changes if it moves a little the tank looks completely different.

In retrospect I wouldn’t go for the crypts, I’d have brighter green bushier plants like Myriophyllum Guyana hydrocotyle tripartita & Staurogyne Repens & if they don’t recover then that’s what I’ll do.

They way they’re planted means 70% of them are touching. Only the Nevillii is unaffected.

The in vitro plant that arrived 1/2 dead was São Paulo & I’ve now finished the job. It was mush within a day. It came from Germany but the Ceylon pink and four leaf star plants that travelled with it were/are fine. I’m not going to bother the supplier, they’ve been amazing with numerous other things.

 

[Siege]

Hi James. Really enjoying your log.

All events similar to my past! Yes good idea about the jubilee clips on the oase filter. I was having that same conversation last week. I’m going to do add jubilee clips to mine (tube has come off 2 times now). I think the lock/unlock twisting action of the filter outlet undoes or loosens the tubes?

Re plants, I’d suggest getting them from the UK. Far less travel time and I assume after currency exchange charge they are cheaper, or not much in it?

 

[tam]

Don't give up on the crypts yet, once they bounce back they are easier to look after than a lot of other plants and do look good. Give it a few weeks and look back at your photos and you'll be amazed at the progress

 

[J@mes]

Day 15

A few days ago I upped the light output from 46% to 66% and removed the light screen from day to day routine. Sadly I ended up losing 5 shrimp from my co2 mistake. Their bodies and the melted crypts increased the decaying material & despite fishing most of it out bba materialised. I’ve done several water changes & scrubbed the hardscape where possible & it seems under control. I need some smaller dia. Hose to do my wc as 16mm is just to rapid to concentrate on removing all the debris.

 

[tam]

It's looking very good for two weeks in I use airline on my smallest tank - but you might want something in between the two. You can always start small and then swap to a bigger syphon once you've finished with the vacuming.

 

[Daveslaney]

Looks really nice. You could try some 12mm pipe to syphon and use your thumb over the end near the bucket as you move the pipe to the different areas you want to clean.

 

[J@mes]

Trying out some new ambient lighting, makes a great silhouette, using the newly spare timer means it’ll be on as a kind of nightlight & when the grow light is off.

It’s fun to watch even as a shadow, the frogbits doing a waltz round & the occasional shrimp spring across the scene. The gas off the twinstar looks like smoke. Also noticed how badly plastered my wall is, adds to the look!

 

[goldscapes]

Also noticed how badly plastered my wall is, adds to the look!

A piece of tracing paper on the back of the tank might “smooth” that plaster out and give you a nice frosted look, haven’t tried it myself yet though...