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Grownup Swedish Suprise
- Thread starter NatalieHurrell
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NatalieHurrell
Member
Swapped to the Oase Biomaster Thermo today. Hoses were a pig to straighten out, even after putting in warm water. I had to also fashion an extension to the arm of the spray bar to drop it below my lower water line. Other than that it was brilliantly easy to set up and prime. The tank looks so much better without the clutter. Wonder if I should have gone for the 350, but was worried about the Paradise Fish hating too high a flow. All plants still gently swaying. Still a bit of a dead spot behind the massive bit of Corbo wood, but the intake is there. Worst case I'll put the PAT Mini back in. The fish will also add movement, especially the Cory's.
I've already pinched and replanted the tops of a lot if the stem plants and everything is throwing out new leaves. Still no algae, apart from a few diatoms on the slate. The white fungus is still present on the Corbo wood, but there is only a tiny amount of it.
I've seeded the filter and if the temperature hits the right level I'll pop the four Corys in tomorrow, then go and get the second batch for quarantine. Should have bought a bigger quarantine tank!
I've already pinched and replanted the tops of a lot if the stem plants and everything is throwing out new leaves. Still no algae, apart from a few diatoms on the slate. The white fungus is still present on the Corbo wood, but there is only a tiny amount of it.
I've seeded the filter and if the temperature hits the right level I'll pop the four Corys in tomorrow, then go and get the second batch for quarantine. Should have bought a bigger quarantine tank!
NatalieHurrell
Member
So Corys went in on Sunday and I popped and got a couple more for the quarantine tank. I also got four Amanos, who have settled into the main tank nicely. I need to dig out my macro lens at some point.
Diatoms are dusting all the leaves, making the tank look ugly, but so far the substrate is looking fine. A quick leaf rub before water changes is mostly rectifying it. Well, I say quick...
I've moved the Brazilian Pennywort from where it was wedged in the Corbo into the back corner and planted it in the substrate. It was getting holes in it's leaves and looking a bit pale, although it was/is sending out new side shoots. I also felt it wasn't helping the flow in that area and the Frogbit kept grabbing hold of it.
Not overly impressed with the Biomaster 250 in terms of flow and have put the PAT Mini back in, just behind the Corbo wood. I have ordered the coarser pre-filter foams. I'll swap them at the weekend and also Vaseline everything, as it is purging a very small amount of air about every half an hour. Nothing major, but still mildly annoying. I have tilted it in all directions which has pretty much cured it. I left the hoses long enough to bring the filter out of the cabinet and there are no kinks in the hoses, but they do dip down before going up. I know gravity helps, but am considering shortening them, so the water has less distance to travel. Is this a good idea? Makes sense to me, but the person who runs my local Maidenhead Aquatics didn't think it would make much of a difference.
The plants have started to look a bit starved. It happened after I put the Peace Lily in and didn't up my ferts. The Peace Lily has been removed for now and dosing upped a bit. See how it goes. No doubt I'll be asking for help on that front shortly. Not sure my all in one fertiliser is actually an all in one. It's the Aquadip plant Food +. The ingredients are a bit vague to say the least:
"AQUADIP Plant Food+ is an essential product for aquatic plants taking nutrients through the leaves. It is a complete plant fertiliser containing all important micro and macro nutrients, providing optimal, lush and healthy plant growth. The range of nutrients contains iron, potassium and magnesium, ammonium, boron, copper, lithium, manganese, iodine, tin, nickel, cobalt and a few more ingredients to make this your complete plant fertiliser. "
I have put some Tropica root tabs under a couple of the hungriest looking plants.
Am going to educate myself on EI dosing next. Wish me luck.
Diatoms are dusting all the leaves, making the tank look ugly, but so far the substrate is looking fine. A quick leaf rub before water changes is mostly rectifying it. Well, I say quick...
I've moved the Brazilian Pennywort from where it was wedged in the Corbo into the back corner and planted it in the substrate. It was getting holes in it's leaves and looking a bit pale, although it was/is sending out new side shoots. I also felt it wasn't helping the flow in that area and the Frogbit kept grabbing hold of it.
Not overly impressed with the Biomaster 250 in terms of flow and have put the PAT Mini back in, just behind the Corbo wood. I have ordered the coarser pre-filter foams. I'll swap them at the weekend and also Vaseline everything, as it is purging a very small amount of air about every half an hour. Nothing major, but still mildly annoying. I have tilted it in all directions which has pretty much cured it. I left the hoses long enough to bring the filter out of the cabinet and there are no kinks in the hoses, but they do dip down before going up. I know gravity helps, but am considering shortening them, so the water has less distance to travel. Is this a good idea? Makes sense to me, but the person who runs my local Maidenhead Aquatics didn't think it would make much of a difference.
The plants have started to look a bit starved. It happened after I put the Peace Lily in and didn't up my ferts. The Peace Lily has been removed for now and dosing upped a bit. See how it goes. No doubt I'll be asking for help on that front shortly. Not sure my all in one fertiliser is actually an all in one. It's the Aquadip plant Food +. The ingredients are a bit vague to say the least:
"AQUADIP Plant Food+ is an essential product for aquatic plants taking nutrients through the leaves. It is a complete plant fertiliser containing all important micro and macro nutrients, providing optimal, lush and healthy plant growth. The range of nutrients contains iron, potassium and magnesium, ammonium, boron, copper, lithium, manganese, iodine, tin, nickel, cobalt and a few more ingredients to make this your complete plant fertiliser. "
I have put some Tropica root tabs under a couple of the hungriest looking plants.
Am going to educate myself on EI dosing next. Wish me luck.
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The Miniaturist
Member
Hi there,
Are you planning on a centrepiece plant such as a red lotus or an echinodorus or keeping it soft with lots of flowing stems?
You look too organised to haphazardly buy odd plants because they look attractive then find out how much care/space they need like I do! 😂
Are you planning on a centrepiece plant such as a red lotus or an echinodorus or keeping it soft with lots of flowing stems?
You look too organised to haphazardly buy odd plants because they look attractive then find out how much care/space they need like I do! 😂
NatalieHurrell
Member
@The Miniaturist I'd love a red lotus. They didn't have any in stock. As my original scheme got thwarted by floating branches the whole layout I had in my head went out the window. Was supposed to be a lot more jungle stylie. I am intending to get rid of the slate and plant more of a mix. Organised wasn't the look I was going for, but seemed to have failed miserably 🤣
I can sympathise with your filter pipe struggles. I have the Oase Thermo 100 and just hacked the pipes in half to make the two lengths, with the fear of cutting them too short. When first installing I too had air spitting ever 2 then 5 minutes then it eventually went away. They are a great thing but really just a pain as well. Obviously there is no one size that fits all, thats for sure! Sometimes I just accept that with the space that I have and what I am trying to do, things will never be quite right. Guess thats the fun of it though. Looking forward to seeing your posts and thanks for sharing!
NatalieHurrell
Member
@si walker Did you cut them down shorter in the end?
Hi.
No I didn't. I was so happy to have set it all up and for the air to stop going into the tank that I just left it. I really feel like this about my setup, if its okay just leave it for a while to bed in. Especially as it is kinda low tech. Space is a real issue/pain for me. Everything is squashed into a corner! I try to remove that show tank image from my brain
No I didn't. I was so happy to have set it all up and for the air to stop going into the tank that I just left it. I really feel like this about my setup, if its okay just leave it for a while to bed in. Especially as it is kinda low tech. Space is a real issue/pain for me. Everything is squashed into a corner! I try to remove that show tank image from my brain
NatalieHurrell
Member
@si walker Me too on the show tank front!
I have shortened the hoses today and greased the o rings. Also swapped to the coarser pre-filter sponges. Flow seems a little better. Will leave the little internal filter in until the tank matures, then decided whether to take it out or not. I really wanted to put ripariums plants right where it's sat!
I have shortened the hoses today and greased the o rings. Also swapped to the coarser pre-filter sponges. Flow seems a little better. Will leave the little internal filter in until the tank matures, then decided whether to take it out or not. I really wanted to put ripariums plants right where it's sat!
NatalieHurrell
Member
Finally got my hands on a potted Hygrophila pinnatifida. Horizon Aquatics had one in stock and whilst I was at it I also ordered a Bucephalandra wavy green on bogwood with moss, several Ludwigia mini super red and an Eleocharis montevidensis. Well seemed rude not too.
I've put the pinnatifida at the top of the Corbo and it's already at the surface. Hoping it will grow emersed.
Been topping out the stem plants and replanting, so hopefully it will get a bit more jungle like soon. Everything is putting out new growth.
The only thing I have lost is most of my original in vitro pinnatifida. It melted, but I think this was partly due to being wedged too deep in the wood and getting no flow. There's one healthy sprig left, that has gained roots and more leaves. The tripartita was looking rather ropey, but is starting to recover since I upped the ferts a bit.
The shrimp were having a spa day during today's water change, bombing up and down in the bubbles. Such a joy to watch!
I've put the pinnatifida at the top of the Corbo and it's already at the surface. Hoping it will grow emersed.
Been topping out the stem plants and replanting, so hopefully it will get a bit more jungle like soon. Everything is putting out new growth.
The only thing I have lost is most of my original in vitro pinnatifida. It melted, but I think this was partly due to being wedged too deep in the wood and getting no flow. There's one healthy sprig left, that has gained roots and more leaves. The tripartita was looking rather ropey, but is starting to recover since I upped the ferts a bit.
The shrimp were having a spa day during today's water change, bombing up and down in the bubbles. Such a joy to watch!
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NatalieHurrell
Member
I popped to MA at Dummer today and got some cherry shrimp and some gorgeous wild type looking male Endlers, albeit they will have guppy in there somewhere (OK a lot of guppy in there). They also had some beautiful hybrid yellow lyretails, so have four males of those too. Can be kept at 22 ish degrees and relatively shrimp safe. (Un)fortunately they managed to give me a juvenile freebie female guppy that I've had to separate. Not sure what to do with her yet. She's happily bopping around a spare planted tank by herself at the moment.
I also picked up some Selaginella. I had my suspicions that it's not fully aquatic and this has been confirmed by the kind people on this forum. To this end I managed to fashion some riparium holders from a wire coathanger, which I covered in airline. I now have the Peace Lily in one and a Parlour Palm and the Selagenella in the other. Pretty chuffed with the results, even if I do say so myself.
I also picked up some Selaginella. I had my suspicions that it's not fully aquatic and this has been confirmed by the kind people on this forum. To this end I managed to fashion some riparium holders from a wire coathanger, which I covered in airline. I now have the Peace Lily in one and a Parlour Palm and the Selagenella in the other. Pretty chuffed with the results, even if I do say so myself.
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NatalieHurrell
Member
Latest additions to the family!
NatalieHurrell
Member
Went to feed the lone juvenile female this morning and found she only has one eye. Not one good eye and one damaged, but a complete blank on one side of her face . Now I feel compelled to keep her. If I take her back to the shop she'd likely be offed...
. Now I feel compelled to keep her. If I take her back to the shop she'd likely be offed...
The Miniaturist
Member
Oh, poor girl! You must keep her now. One of my Ottos has uneven eyes, a bit like this 🤪 but I've had him four years & he's the first on the spinach leaves. He has the unimaginative name of Odd Eye....
NatalieHurrell
Member
Today I have added some Creeping Jenny to my riparium plants. I've popped it in the back of the Peace Lily bracket and bought it out over the side of the tank, so it can't run wild. It worked in the little vase I had, so let's see what happens in this tank.
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NatalieHurrell
Member
So, having started out wanting an 18 degree tank with Corys and Paradise fish, I then ended up getting shrimp, followed by Endler hybrids and setting the tank to 22 degrees. Hoping the guppy part of the hybrids wins over on the temperature side of things. A week in and so far so good. My other half then chirped up that he wanted some bigger, colourful fish. My quarantine tank now has six mixed guppies in it. Two are absolutely enormous for males guppies. I'm guessing shrimplets may not last long , but the adult Cherries and Amanos should be OK.
42 years of fishkeeping and ended up pretty much where I started with guppies!
, but the adult Cherries and Amanos should be OK.42 years of fishkeeping and ended up pretty much where I started with guppies!
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NatalieHurrell
Member
Small update. Decided to empty the quarantine tank of it's plants and have moved them to the main one. Basically it's Eldoa, Anacharis, one lonely sprig of Bacopa and yet more Hygrophila. Everything else is still growing nicely. I had some melt on the Ludwigia, but lots of new leaves have appeared already, so all good. The Selagenella went crispy as a riparium plant. If I'd had a lid I guess it might have been OK, but not humid enough with a rimless. All ticking along nicely. Still no algae...
Have remembered why I like guppies. Colourful, easy maintenance, give up food to even the teenie Cherry shrimp and basically just a bit silly. They may not be rare or even that interesting to some, but I've become quite attached already.
Have remembered why I like guppies. Colourful, easy maintenance, give up food to even the teenie Cherry shrimp and basically just a bit silly. They may not be rare or even that interesting to some, but I've become quite attached already.
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As long as they're happy and you're happy that's all that matters!
The Miniaturist
Member
NatalieHurrell
Member
They had to meet the criteria of temperate, not a Platy, shrimp safe, plant safe, not too likely to jump, can take a pH of 8, hardwater and don't mind a reasonable waterflow. Was running out of options!
