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Jungle Cube 30l

Mrmikey

Mrmikey

Member
Joined
2 Apr 2010
Messages
372
Thought It was time to start a fresh.

Equipment:
18w super fish light
tunze mini pump 300lph
eheim ecco 500lph
hydor 200w
inline co2, jbl regulator

hardscape
bit of wood from Maiden head aquatics
slate to hold it down for now

Substarate
Amazonian II, pre soaked for month, then two weeks in tank

Ferts:
el method

Plants:
xmoss and peacock moss definite
narrow leaf java at back
rest debatable ?
Well I wanted a easier set up but somehow I think it will be just as hard:)

I have had a go at trying to get the best layout with the limited wood that I had. I lost a lot of plants in transition so have put in what has been saved. These plants aren't a definite just an idea, so some will go, some will stay...any input on planting suggestions?, wouldnt mind a some Lilaeopsis brasiliensis or glosso to go in the foreground and to go around root, xmas moss path going into cave ? maybe some fern type thing? japonica in the corners?

anyway heres a pic so far...
img0417s.jpg
 
Congrats mate.. very nice.
Like the hollow under the tree stump.. lots of hiding space for the cherries
 
I like it a lot mate, the wood is positioned perfectly and is a nice change from small twiggy bits poking out from behind plant growth, I think the b.japonica is a good idea but I'd replace the the hairgrass with it and have some to the right side, and either c.heferi if you don't mind paying for it or a cheaper option but IMO not as good or nature aquarium looking, vallis.

Ill send you a sweety sock in the post if you don't get some glosso going on aswell haha!! This needs a glosso carpet :)

Thanks mate
 
marthin said:
Congrats mate.. very nice.
Like the hollow under the tree stump.. lots of hiding space for the cherries
Click to expand...

Cheers mate, I really hope my shimp do ok in here with the ferts. Local fish shop are selling fire red shrimp for £5 dont think I can resist.

nayr88 said:
I like it a lot mate, the wood is positioned perfectly and is a nice change from small twiggy bits poking out from behind plant growth, I think the b.japonica is a good idea but I'd replace the the hairgrass with it and have some to the right side, and either c.heferi if you don't mind paying for it or a cheaper option but IMO not as good or nature aquarium looking, vallis.

Ill send you a sweety sock in the post if you don't get some glosso going on aswell haha!! This needs a glosso carpet :)

Thanks mate
Click to expand...

Mate thanks for the in-put, Woods is alright isnt it:) Best I could get around here! some bits are just weighed down with lead and stones because it kept floating. Im liking the idea of a bit of glosso, but to carpet will i need high co2 injection and more light? in my set up will in not just grow tall and lanky ? Ok def wanna give japonica a try and some c.heferi in the back does sound cool. So you think Lilaeopsis brasiliensis will be good for around the base of the wood blended in to the glosso. Would the moss path under the cave bit look naff? the hair grass will go for sure doesnt look right at all!

you better not send me one of your sweety socks, I got enough of them already...only if my shrimp bread so well:(
 
How did you get my socks!! Haha.

Yeah I'm always tempted with I see CRS but I hold back because cherries are so bloody easy and a quarter of the price.

I had to do the same with some redmoor like yours in an old scape just wrapped in in a ton of lead loll, bad times. As for the gloss I'd say you've got decent light, your running co2 and it will have a good diffusion rate with it inline plus ei and good substrate I don't sea why it wouldn't work, keep on top of trimming and it won't grow leggy :)

I'm not to fond of Lilaeopsis brasiliensi but its your call, I'd have the b.japonica to left and right of wood, with the closest plant being the p.helferi, its sends out runners and gorws quite bushy so will bled into the japonica fine...again with the moss it looks ok but I'm not sure what it'll look like with glosso carpet, could look amazing could look poop, what about a staurygone(horrendous spelling)in its place a nice bush with the helferi either side?

I know I've said a lot of stuff here, I don't mean to say as if I'm telling you how to plant your tank, I'm as new to this hobby as the next guy, I'm just sayin would I fink would look good in my eyes and what would suit your tank quite well, plus I hate leaving the standard 'nice tank looks cool' sort of comment. :D its all constructive :D

Thanks mate
 
haha not your socks! you know what i mean:)

I love CRS to, lost many £ to them...just ask basil!!. They can hold out for my 60l coming soon. loving the bright red fire shrimp at the moment and they seem pretty hardy to my hap-hazard approach to aqua scaping!

The redmoor was really annoying trying to get it in place, took a while but got there in the end. Its a bit scrappy at the back but I was hoping some japonica would hide it.

Mate loving the feedback...see, I hadn't got a clue what staurygone was, just googled it and loving it. I like your suggestion on plants a lot and might bosh an order in at green machine. I can see it now from back to front, c.helferi, japonica, p.helferi, glosso and a staurgone in the middle next to the cave. I'll save the path idea for now can always add it later.

should have it planted by the weekend if my order is on time, I will then clean it up and try and do a nice shot.

nice one nayr88:)
 
My hydor 200w inline heater has gone mad! I noticed the clicking sound had stopped so I tested the temp and it seemed ok, however this dreadful grinding sound started bellowing out of it and temp in tank was shooting up. The red light was flicking on and off realIy quickly. think it's bust so if anyone has one for sale please let me know:) anyone had this problem?
I took the black background off today to clean the sides and actually quite like it on this set up. Ordered in the plants So should be here soon.
Shame I've already set this up coz I have just been in contact with tom and bought a box of manzi. Should be here in time for my 60l arrival soon:) however I am still happy with this for now.
 
Planted it up today with some glosso, c. Helferi , and japonica. Looks nice I will upload a picture tomorrow.
Got some shrimp the other day and they have gone bright red so happy about that.
I still think I'm under dosing? Will maybe upload a few pics to see if I'm preparing it ok. I really hope the glosso spreads and gets thick.
One thing I'm thinking about is putting two 11w arcpods over it as the wood is creating a fair but of shading on the japonica either side. Does it need highlight to grow well? Or should I say direct light ?
 
Hello Mikey,

Sounds like its moving along :) I'm not to sharp on EI dosing knowledge so put some info on here and I'm sure someone else will jump in for that.

The C.helferi from tgm is amazing aye, HUGE!! Haha. I think you could be okai with the light you have, I have a really dense corner of Japonica and the lower leaves that don't get much light seem to be fine so don't run out and spend your money to quickly, see how things go 1st. Spose the extra wattage would go a miss on the glosso though....hmmm thinking out loud lol.

How did you get on with the Hydor? Was it in warranty??

Cheers mate

Where do you get the superfish 18w, I have one but want to replace the bulb, I also would mind one for another little tank I have.
 
Anywhere that sells superfish should be able to get you replacement bulbs but I doubt they'll be cheap.
 
Hey, All looking ok this morning, glosso still in place and was much easier to plant than HC. Going to use up the last of my ferts and the see if I can get someone to double check. Im sure someone will give it the once over.

C.helferi is massive, my tank looks greener than it has in weeks, wonder how long I can keep it like this? the staurgone was taller than i expected, once I get a photo of it up maybe u can help me out with it? There seems to new growth halfway up the stem so wasn't sure wether to cut it or not?

I'll keep the light as it is for now and see how things go. I got the light from a shop in hove call paraquatics, good little shop, and they do good shrimp.

The Hydor I got off somebody on here, worked well for about 2 months :( I'll get a new one when I see one up for sale.
 
updated pic of the tank all planted.

Having a bit of browning on the xmas moss, around the wood? maybe tied it too tight, but the are some little bright green tips showing through further down the branch in middle. I think the glosso has grown a little but have a felling its going to start going upwards.

img3463.jpg
 
WOW!

Very nice mate, an absolute beaut!

The Glosso might want to stand up but keep trimming and re planting and it'll get the idea haha. The C.helferi suits the tank so well, all the plants really complement each other. With the Stuary and the P.helferi keep trimming and re planting to get a nice uniform patch of each.

My xmas moss browns at the base if I allow it to grow to thiick, give yours a trim other wise the base could rot :(

Cheers
 
nayr88 said:
WOW!

Very nice mate, an absolute beaut!

The Glosso might want to stand up but keep trimming and re planting and it'll get the idea haha. The C.helferi suits the tank so well, all the plants really complement each other. With the Stuary and the P.helferi keep trimming and re planting to get a nice uniform patch of each.

My xmas moss browns at the base if I allow it to grow to thiick, give yours a trim other wise the base could rot :(

Cheers
Click to expand...

buddy, Gotta say loving the plants...thanks for the help on that:), it has a rough look to it which I like.

so when should I start the trimming process? should I let it grow a little then trim or just trim straight away. Will the Stuary grow lower if well trimmed? stunt it? mine was rather tall and on google they seem smaller and bushier. Hopefully it will keep growing.

Yeah the xmas moss is dying from the tips just the top bit...could it be too much light for it? may trim some of the other bits though to try and get it bushy as well.

Java at the back is going a bit black, whats this mean more ferts?

HullTiger86 said:
Love the wood and you seem to have a right mix of fish there
Click to expand...

thanks mate wasnt too sure how it would turn out but Im pretty happy with it. The fish are nice the lad in the flat above gave me the rummy noses. My shrimp have gone bright red, and I haven't gassed them yet which is ace!

The inline co2 is working a dream, I have about 1 bubble every 3/4 seconds and the drop checker is dehydrated pee yellow, turned it down just a tad coz im running it all night and the fish were coming up for air but not gasping, so i think this may help... apart from that its all good.
 
LOL..dehydrated pee yellow. Nice one haha

No problem, its pretty much the plant list going into my next tank. I'd say you would be fine to start trimming it now and re planting but you may aswell wait till the next w/c so any disturbed soil you can vac out, it'll grow like a nice low bush for sure if you keep it well trimmed.

As for the browning xmas moss, give it a trim and see what it says in a week of so, mine is 5 inches from 18watts so I don't think it'll be the light burning it, not sure about the java though :/ post it the Plants sections see if someone has a answer. Also worth posting in the Ferts section about your dosing,

I just got my UP automizer duffuser thingy today from HK, my bubble count is about 3 per second and I don't have any mist, to get a mist I need to have it at around 7+....is that right?

Cheers mate keep the pics coming,
 
haha you like that, It does though doesnt it.

Well if these are the plants your going for im sure you'll like them as much as me:) Ok better stay on top of the trimming coz i swear its grow an inch already in some clumps.

Yeah I think I may have put it on a little too thick and tied it too tight, will give a min trim to some bits next week.

My ferts are running lowish so by the end of next week i can see if im doing things right, I hope I am.

The UP diffuser is great, really efficient. On my old ceramic one there was a bubble a second maybe more. If you are getting no mist and its lime green/ yellow youre onto a winner. When I had the black background, bubbles were MUCH more visible. I think there is a slight mist now but the bubbles are so small at 1 per 3/4 seconds i cant even see them really. Best buy on my set up so far, its out the tank and doesn't need cleaning really and cheap, gotta be good.

I'll get a few more pics up when the shrimp are out and about, very happy with them may get another 5 coz now the plants are in i cant even see them:(

Also, got a box of manzi wood today from Tom....its for my next project, jungle is massive, in a 26lx12hx15d inch optiwhite:) gonna be shrimp heaven.
 
The inline co2 is working a dream, I have about 1 bubble every 3/4 seconds and the drop checker is dehydrated pee yellow, turned it down just a tad coz im running it all night and the fish were coming up for air but not gasping
Click to expand...

1 every 3/4 seconds? My tank's 1/3 the size of yours and with considerably less plant mass and I'm running 1-2 per second. Just wondering if I'm going way overboard!!
 
Its a bit confussing, I used to have 1or2 bubbles a second when I had the solenoid plugged in, I think u may need more to get it to good levels in the morning... Well I did :)... As long as you fish/ shrimp aren't suffering then I don't think u can have to much co2. I've read a few times 'make light the limiting factor ' so u should be ok.
 
Well just a quick update on a few things.
Plants
I'm noticing the java fern at the back dosent look the best, bit dark and black and definatly not what I would call healthy. The glosso I have trimed back but it seems to have gone yellow at the base and there is a fair bit of die off so it doesnt look great, however there is still nice new growth appearing but grows up not sideways.
Xmoss looks sorry for itself to, dark green with hair algae, but again a fair few green tips showing so that's a plus.
Japonica is looking great, nana petite looks good and the p.helfei has sent out 4 new buds, but I'm not holding my breath the last few have melted.
Algae hasn't been to bad, co2 is running high ( yellow ) still running 24/7 but gonna stick my solenoid on it as I had a fish jump out and they seem to be gasping hard, not really fair on the poor things.
Got 3 male cherry barbs, really like them actually, nice addition.
Not sure about getting anymore shrimp coz I saw one die before my very eyes:( I don't think it's the co2 as I haven't seen them surface but think my dosing my be a bit much for them?or it's the water...high gh 20+ and kh 20+ but ph is good.
 
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