George's Aquascaper 1200 Nature Aquarium

[Mot]

Fantastic George. Always a pleasure to "see" you in these vids. Tank is looking great. Please keep sharing!

 

[rebel]

Great video! Nice to see what it really takes to maintain this.

 

[George Farmer]

Wow! Thanks for the feedback and questions. I'll try to answer you all as best I can... 🙂

Did you replanted the trimmed tops? or you just let the stem plants become bushier by trimming?

Just trimming. They're densely packed so not enough room to re-plant. 🙂

Was this tank used before? Or a cheap silicone? The reason I ask is that silicone seals have lots of bubbles.

Brand new tank but I believe there's a slight discrepancy in the cabinet build (my own fault) so there's some stress on the glass causing the micro bubbles. I've been assured it's safe. Most cabinets are pre-built but I did this myself, and I'm crap at DIY!! 🙂

What would you choose for a 75x45x45 cm tank.

Light:
Kessil a360w

TMC grobeam 1500 tile.

Algae inhibitor:

Twinstar.

Maintenance:

Should I clean the pumps every 2 weeks. Will then be 4 weeks on each pump. Can this also help against algae?

How often should I change the water. And how much.
Can I change the water to often. What is the danger of changing too much water and too often.

Seeing that you have only 20 to 22 degrees in the water. Does this help against algae? Will it give slower growing on plants? And give algae the upperhand.

Lighting I'd go for 2 x Kessil 160 instead of one 360. Better spread.
Twinstar can help prevent algae in my experience (but I understand there's lots of debate - I'm just going on my own experience)
Clean filters as often as you can be bothered. Clean filters are good in a planted tank.
Water change depends on energy levels and biomass. 1x 50% per week is ok for most.
Lower temps tends to reduce risk of algae. Everything slows down with cooler temps.

Hi George, great video. How do you make up the solution of citric acid to clean the Twinstar reactor; what ratios etc?

1x teaspoon of citric acid per 100ml water. 2 hours soaking. I just guessed. Works for me. 🙂

How are you getting the fresh water back in George? You were saying it's dechlorinated tap water, just wondering if you're pumping it from a container after dechlorination or put the dechlo in the tank and going in straight from the tap?

I run my tap into a bucket. Then I have a pump in the bucket with the hose attached. I add the dechlorinator in several smdoses throughout the fill.

 

[AverageWhiteBloke]

I run my tap into a bucket. Then I have a pump in the bucket with the hose attached. I add the dechlorinator in several smdoses throughout the fill.

Which pump are you using George? Looking for something myself that would lift water from a bucket on the ground to a height of about 1600mm for water changing.

 

[Aeropars]

So you're going to stick around 100 Amano shrimp in there? By my calculations of my local shop, that's £400 worth of shrimp!

 

[George Farmer]

Which pump are you using George? Looking for something myself that would lift water from a bucket on the ground to a height of about 1600mm for water changing.

I'm using a Sun Sun pump - 800lph. Hose is 15 metres but height difference is less than a metre.

So you're going to stick around 100 Amano shrimp in there? By my calculations of my local shop, that's £400 worth of shrimp!

Indeed. I get trade price so not so bad.

 

[Per Rudi Danielsen]

Hi George

I have been in a dialog with NA makers http://naturalaquario.com. They seam to be back in buisness.
They can deliver 65 cm system. Lager system will come.

I have asked about there new light. 4x22 watt.

Light info.

LED lamps are 8000K

Power Factor　 >0.95　
color rendering index >70 or >80　　
Beam Angle　 120°　　
Lumen 2500~2650LM
Power 22W

Could you recommend this lights from NA.

Also would 2 x a360w kessil be owerkill for a 75 cm tank?

Looking forward on the progess on your tank.

Will you post more from your other tanks

 

[George Farmer]

Hi George

I have been in a dialog with NA makers http://naturalaquario.com. They seam to be back in buisness.
They can deliver 65 cm system. Lager system will come.

I have asked about there new light. 4x22 watt.

Light info.

LED lamps are 8000K

Power Factor　 >0.95　
color rendering index >70 or >80　　
Beam Angle　 120°　　
Lumen 2500~2650LM
Power 22W

Could you recommend this lights from NA.

Also would 2 x a360w kessil be owerkill for a 75 cm tank?

Looking forward on the progess on your tank.

Will you post more from your other tanks

The lights I had were great but I've no experience of their new models.

2 X 360 Kessil is overkill. 1 is plenty. Also consider 2x 160 models instead.

Thanks. 🙂

 

[G H Nelson]

Awesome stuff George as always!
Fantastic shimmer from the Kessil's
Love it!

 

[nicpapa]

Nice scape.
The rock its a litle flat, you have 60cm depth but with those big rocks tank look smaller.
This tank its perfect for a dutch style.. 🙂
Add neocaridinda shrimps, some otos or bnp and a large of small school fish, i prefer the cardinals for the blue color.

 

[Richard H]

Great looking tank. Love the way it's growing in. Thanks for putting the work into the video, helps us newbies.

 

[George Farmer]

Nice scape.
The rock its a litle flat, you have 60cm depth but with those big rocks tank look smaller.
This tank its perfect for a dutch style.. 🙂
Add neocaridinda shrimps, some otos or bnp and a large of small school fish, i prefer the cardinals for the blue color.

Thanks, nicpapa.

I won't be adding the fish you suggest as I'm running it sub-tropical. Dutch is too much hard work and not my personal taste. 🙂

Interesting observation on the rock work. Thank you for your input. 🙂

 

[tim]

Just catching up with your journal George, stunning scape, once grown in it'll be another nature aquarium master class, really enjoying the video side of your work lately, expresses the amount of effort and attention you put into your hobby, great guide for new and old scapers, top work mate.

 

[nicpapa]

Thanks, nicpapa.

I won't be adding the fish you suggest as I'm running it sub-tropical. Dutch is too much hard work and not my personal taste. 🙂

Interesting observation on the rock work. Thank you for your input. 🙂

Ok when u say sub tropical what temp?
For the rock work ,is just what i saw from the photo, maybe when u see in different angle is beter.

 

[George Farmer]

Ok when u say sub tropical what temp?
For the rock work ,is just what i saw from the photo, maybe when u see in different angle is beter.

There's no heater so it's dependent on my room temperature. Generally 18-21C this time of year.

 

[George Farmer]

Week 7. Stems recovering from their first trim last week.

30 WCMM in there but are lost!

 

[Guest]

Nice image...it gives a greater impression of the tanks depth front to back and how much scape there actually is in there😉

 

[Greenfinger2]

Hi George, Stunning scape great videos too

 

[Alexander Belchenko]

30 WCMM in there but are lost!

For such a tank you probably need three times as more fish ))

 

[Per Rudi Danielsen]

Hi
In the beginning you do a lot of water changes.
And only remove chlorine from cranewater.
Use tropica fertilizer..
But o water testing?

To keep the tank looking so good and so little algae.
Is this because of so little live stock in the beginning.
High dosing of fert... And big water changes.

When plants have grown in and there are lots of healthy plants in the tank. Will the tank support more livestock with out getting algae outbreaks.

Yesterday i ordered my new tank. NA 65.
I will try and mix your NA tank and this tank layout.

In Norway there isnt meny stores that keep harddcape. So i might end up getting it from UK.

Any place you can recommend.

Ill be watching your progress.