WEEK 2 Update. I cant believe the tank has only been planted for 2 weeks!! It seems like SOOOOO much longer...maybe this is due to all the daily water changes?!!
I have just looked back at the difference between the picture I posted when the tank was planted before flooding. And the image I took today.
WOWZERS! Things are growing fast.
Today was the first real big maintenance day. Last weekend I cleaned the glass for the first time properly. But I wasnt brave enough to open up the Thermo 350 and clean the prefilters.
A 2nd week of cleaning glass all week, trimming stems and replanting them. And atleast a whole 5 days of not spilling water anywhere has made me braver.
Plus last weekend I cleaned the glass Sunday with the water change in the morning, but didnt get to do a water change until the Monday after work. 36hrs later instead of 24hrs. The tank and all the glass I cleaned was covered in diatom dust when I got home from work on that Monday
. Lesson learnt... tank is not ready yet to go more than 24hrs without a water change.
So anywho, today was major maintenance day. And actually, it wasnt that bad
I did it all very slow and didnt worry about the CO2 coming on and getting the maintenance done before that time. Taking the prefilters out of the Thermo is actually super easy. And not a single drip was lost to the carpet. The foams were FILTHY. Way dirtier than I expected after just 2 weeks from setup. I totally should have done them last weekend. Which was probably the cause of the diatoms. I should have taken a pic to show. But i didnt. I did intend to wash them in tank water as the tank is new and i'm trying to populate the filter. But actually they were too dirty for that. I ended up squeezing them out for quite a while under the tap instead. I am planning now on getting another set of sponges to exchange each time. And clean them thoroughly at my leisure. I also carefully removed the filter head and swapped out the bag or Purigen I have in the top try for a fresh bag. This also turned out to not be a drama at all. And not a drip was spilt on the carpet. I did remember to take a picture of the Purigen for prosperity...
Purigen after two weeks in new tank. I read that it reduces diatoms and removes tannins. I didnt want diatoms. And I hate tannin water. So I thought I would give it a go. Considering it was off white when new and now its very not. I guess its doing something. In general the tank doesn't have any algae... yet. The wood has a thin dark layer of something. Maybe its just how wood goes. Maybe its diatoms. But I certainly don't have any major diatom bloom or filamentous diatoms. They arent covering the rocks or plants. So maybe between the Purigen and the Twinstar M5 its working. But I couldnt say for sure.
Next I Carefully removed the lily pipe and outlet. Turns out that wasnt a drama either. First time I tried to do it. When I put them on the dry tank but decided the pipes were a little too long. I had pushed them on too far and they were stuck. I tried all sorts to get them off. But eventually gave up and cut them off seeing as the pipes were too long anyway. When I put them back on for the second time I only put them on a centimeter or so. Seeing as the pipes stick themselves tight to them anyway. This made them super easy to get off today. Soaked them a while in a bleach solution and cleaned them up. And then in Prime to get rid of the bleach, and they have come up a treat. The co2 tubing came up a treat with a but of a scrub too.
Then the usual massive water change and a hoover of any floating crud. And BoBs your Aunty! Back to a super clean sparkley tank again... took me about 4 hours tho
So Ive been quite happy ever since spending the rest of a lazy Sunday grinning like a Cheshire Cat at it.
Sparkly clean tank topping back up. I dont run it straight from the tap. I have a water pump on 3-5v variable power supply adapter. Ebay special. Pumping up from 25ltr water bottles. After the bald patch last week where I think the water onto kitchen towel method damaged the MC. Its now carefully wedged in the top of the hardscape and runs at a trickle into the tank until there is some water there and I can turn it up a bit. Seems to be ok and think MC is starting to recover. So for now the method will probably stay.
Tank week 2 pics. Filling out
Anubis all have new leaf on each plant.
MC getting there slowly. Really love Hydrocotyle Tripartita. Such a delicate pretty thing.
Moss is growing and pearling. Wouldnt grow in the Biorb all the branches have a bright green growing tip.
Not sure what to do about Rotala Ro'. At the tips of the new growth when they reach the top, they grow pale with a slight pink blush. They were emmersed pots. So they are still converting and im not sure what submerged growth should look like. They appear a much finer stem. Obviously the leaves elongate when they change which i can see. But I think they look to me like they are hungry for something.
Not nitrate, there's a ton of it in the tap water. Phosphate maybe? Dunno what phosphate is in my tap, its not in the water board report. I have started giving 2mls TNC complete every day. But that has only been since Friday. So will review it next week I guess and see if I can see a change
Will keep my fingers crossed!
Need to start reducing the CO2 this week. Its been running yellow for 2 weeks. I still have some white biofilm. I would like to put some Nerites in to help with this. Also some Amano if I can find some. Although my GH is 17 and im not sure if this is too high?? But for sure I think the CO2 is to high for them. So this weeks mission is dial it down bit by bit. To a healthy green. And once I think its stable, review the time it comes on as CO2 is coming on 4 hrs before the lights. And I think for this size tank that is probably quite early.
I also found an issue with my lights this week. Could also be responsible for the pale Rotala maybe? I thought i had set the lights for a 15min ramp each side of the cycle. Then 6hrs with lights at 50% between these. Turns out when I reviewed it, the 15min ramps were fine. But I had set the mid cycle to ramp also. From 50% to 100% over 6hrs. Doh!!
I have since set the light value as it should have been originally, to 6hrs at 50%. I think I should leave this while I dial down the CO2. In my inexperience im guessing everything has been fine in the tank with no algae, because with the soil leaching nutrients and the CO2 running at yellow, the high light has been matched. But now the nutrients are washing out the Rotala is struggling for food under the high CO2/lights demands so has grown pale. But I would LOVE so input as to whether im barking up the right tree or not??
One more pic because hes sooo cute and has also had a spring clean. Waffle
GF is not the only one with an Aquascapers side kick!
TTFN Kim
