Karacticus
Member
Hey, @Happi. Sorry for the delay - been crazy busy with work and not been online much. Sorry I missed your message!
Think things are going reasonably well. I am happy with it, anyway!
The plants in the main seem to be flourishing. I keep playing around with sections of planting and some were starting to intermingle and look untidy, so I gradually migrating towards more clump forming species. What I do find is that my stems never look particularly great - I keep trimming, but they never seem to come back as strong as before. The limnophila for instance began to look a bit tatty in my view, so I have taken it out. The Hygrophila grows well and the swords are gradually turning into monsters! I have had to move my lily as well, as it was growing so many pads that I couldn't keep up with cutting them off - to be honest, they were shading several plants including the limnophila, which might be the reason. I was removing quite a lot of plant matter probably fortnightly, often a whole dinner tray full. Plants nearer the substrate never seem quite as perky as the others - the L. brasiliensis carpets well, but the leaves are probably most affected by algae. So I am considering a powerhead to increase flow down there. With the new arrangement, more light is getting down there now as well.
One of the larger leaves on my Anubias congensis started to almost 'rust' and perforate. Not sure if this is just older leaves dying over time or a deficiency?
I have had few issues with algae, fortunately - I get some dusting on mainly the more static lower leaves, as mentioned. I also am recently getting a bright turquoise slime on my Anubias at the surface level. It is right beneath the light, so perhaps to be expected. Cyanobacteria? It comes off easily and seems localised on that one plant/part of bog wood.
Hydrocotyles grew a little too well and I have been taking clumps out - love the lime green, but it does not want to stay in the substrate so I now have some floating and I keep it in check. The leaves on the swords are thick and healthy looking.
Lighting currently set at:
7 hrs running time (inc. 30min ramp)
51:41:56:30 (RGBW)
22 degrees C
I am still dosing with the Solufeed mix. Have no idea what I am actually chucking in there quantity wise, but I have settled at around 7 pumps (approx. 13ml) daily, usually before I go to work when the lights are still off. My mix is currently:
31.545g 2:1:4
5.721g Free TEC
3.81g Fe DTPA
10ml white vinegar
Made up into a 500ml solution
I still do a 50% water change weekly. Tap water.
What I have found is that if you don't sterilise the bottles with some boiling water beforehand, they quickly develop a mould growth on the surface. Have also been chucking some into my outdoor mini-ponds and the plants like that too. I have also started using it for houseplants! 😂
Livestock-wise, all of my fish and shrimp appear happy and healthy. The Columbians have settled with more fish around them, but they go nuts at feeding time. I have lost one Cardinal to dropsy and my original female Apisto vanished - no idea what happened to her. I have also had a couple of Amanos climb out and perish, and maybe three or four tetras leap to their doom since set-up. Think I'm pretty close to my ultimate stocking levels - I want to add a few more Cardinals, a nice looking pleco or two (really like the Snowballs) and maybe an Armoured Shrimp. Currently have:
9 x Cardinals
12 x Rummynose
4 x Bronze Corys
10 x Black neons
9 x Columbians
3 x SAE
10 x Otocinlcus (that I rarely see)
2 x Apistogramma veijita/macmasteri
18 x Amanos (most remain out of sight)
7 x Nerites
Seems a lot when I write it out, but it doesn't look a lot in the tank.
The skimmer is probably the best bit of kit I've purchased - makes a massive difference to the aesthetics of the tank. Highly recommend to anyone reading!
Had one major mishap, where I stupidly opened the cannister filter with the inlet pipe still in the water. Fun times!
Be interested in anyone's ideas around how I can level up further?
Would a CO2 reactor make much difference for my kind of set-up?
And I assume a powerhead would make an improvement to flow and growth?
Any tips for removing the algae beneath the substrate line against the glass? I push it down and it returns.
The water in my bubble counter disappears constantly - don't think it is evaporation, as it is often there one minute and gone the next?
Sorry for the lengthy splurge!
