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Lockdown journey

SRP3006

Member
Joined
18 Feb 2019
Messages
753
Location
GB
During this pandemic and the lockdown my working hours have increased dramatically. So to combat the downsides of more work and to give myself and my 4 year old daughter some 'quiet' time away from all that is going on, I managed to grab myself a 55l scapers tank and went about setting it up.
I didn't have all the equipment straight away due to postal delays and other issues so went about starting a dry start.
Dry start plants were,
eleocharis acicularis mini
Helanthium tenellum and marsilea crenata.
Planted into tropica soil. 24.04.20
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Left it like that for a while running a dennerle scaper's light over the top, however the light didn't seem to have the punch I was looking for during the dry start. So I took one of my kessil 160we's from the other tank, instantly noticed a difference.

After waiting for the co2 kit, diffuser, jbl e1402 and pipework to arrive I set it all up and planted it. I was very pleased how pleasant it was to work and plant in this little tank. Being able to reach in is amazing to say the least.

Plants arrived in top condition as normal from AG including the glassware.
Plants were,
Rotala Vietnam hra
Hygrophila siamensis 53b
Rotala rotundifolia
Cryptocoryne balansae
Various buce from other tank mainly green and red sp.
Frogbit to help start up. 08.06.20
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First lily pipes I've owned and I do love the look, slightly concerned ill break one though to be honest.
Added a eheim skim to help circulation and to remove surface scum.

Co2 comes on 2 hours before light and goes off 30min before lights off with a very lime green drop checker throughout. Kessil set to 30% for 6 hours including 15min ramp up and ramp down each end. Dosing is EI from APFUK as I still don't fully understand ferts TBH and figured I can't go wrong with full EI. Water changes were done daily for the first week and have now dropped to every second day.
However I have noticed some very slight algae on the glass below the eleocharis, on the leaves of the buce and on the rocks so will be cleaning daily with a toothbrush and changing 80% of the water.
This is how it looks today.
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Still very much a beginner in this and have a lot to learn so please just point out if there is something I can do to improve things, any help appreciated.
I am finding maintenance is a pleasure on this tank compared to the 400 litre, 25min to do a complete water change and clean, can be done after work without any stress.

At the minute there are only a few nerites and ramshorns in the tank, I want to get the co2 on point before adding anymore livestock. But the plan is to have a small shoal of Celestichthys margaritatus and some cherry shrimp.
 
Hi guys. Diatoms? Not had them before or something more sinister?

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That’s demented :wideyed:

:sorry: just not getting enough opportunity to use interesting words - though if that grew overnight, that is impressive - especially as it looks to be more than a single algae (something brown + something fuzzy)

Have you tried to get it off?
Diatoms brush away very easily, if it’s a resistant algae on an older leaf, then remove the leaf

I’m guessing you’re already doing the daily large water changes and physical removal - check the filter - do a syphon of the grass area, and wherever else you can access without damaging plants - I use the refill water flow to (gently) blast stuff out of those unsiphonable areas - which then puts the debris into the water column so need to change more water to prevent it resettling

I’d reduce water column fertilizers, these should work as detectors of inadequate macros (pale new growth, not to be confused with new growth which is often a different color initially than the older submerse leafs) and light period needs (Rotala’s generally show opening/closing of the leaf)
Hygrophila siamensis 53b
Rotala rotundifolia
 
@alto thanks.
I've had the standard brown type algae on the glass down by the Hairgrass that I have removed easily enough. I am doing the daily water changes and blasting the carpet. To be fair the rocks got covered in a dusting that was removed with a toothbrush, maybe I need to scrub the leaf a little more. Or as you say remove the leaf.
 
I’d reduce water column fertilizers, these should work as detectors of inadequate macros (pale new growth, not to be confused with new growth which is often a different color initially than the older submerse leafs) and light period needs (Rotala’s generally show opening/closing of the leaf)

The rotala has closed its leaves behind the buce as the pic was taken out of photoperiod if that's what you mean? Lights were put on purely for photo.
 
Ferts at the mo are daily EI as per Apfuk instructions. 10ml of macro and 10ml of micro on alternate days.
 
The rotala has closed its leaves behind the buce as the pic was taken out of photoperiod if that's what you mean?
:) This was more just a comment in case tank receives ambient light - I was surprised how little light was required for Rotala Vietnam H’ra to “open” and begin its “photoperiod”, then “close” a couple hours after I’d put the actual tank lights on (I was trying to run the aquarium lights from 4pm to 10pm, and the R V H’ra was keen on a 11-5ish schedule)

(though I’m still not convinced this wasn’t “day” related as this tank sits under the stairs in a very dim corner)

A leaf with that amount of algae cover likely has little photosynthetic value to the plant (and may cost in terms of energy support/maintenance) - same goes if you need to cause significant surface damage to remove algae
 
Little update, upgraded my filter to a oase bio 250 thanks to @Jayefc1, great flow now. New chihiros rgb a plus light, added more rotala and limnophila aromatica. Trimmed grass and replanted rotala tops. Diatoms have all but disappeared due to increased maintenance. Plus have been dosing 2ml of glut daily.

I'm liking the new colours of the light. (last photo is looking very cloudy and washed out. Doesn't in reality so not sure )
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Maybe tie the stems together that you trim and drop them in the new tank to take up any spare nutrients
 
Not sure to be honest Jay, thinking I will be taking some rotala orange juice from it to the 900, I've already taken some eleocharis acicularis mini from it to add between the rocks in the 900. Have plenty of soil and hardscape so a rescape, low or high tech, is always a possibility.
 
Hi all,
Rotala bonsai breaking 'free' and flowering
That is pretty (and interesting), it looks like "Bonsai" may be a form of Rotala indica.

Rotala indica
should have a single flower in the leaf axil, like your plant.

Edit: I was just feeling ridiculously pleased with myself (think of a combination of Oscar Wilde and Sherlock Holmes) when I found out that <"some-one had got there first">.

cheers Darrel
 
Hi all,
Even worse, we have a recent /www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/rotala-indica-and-rotala-ammania-bonsai-are-they-the-same-plant.59254/']thread on UKAPS[/URL]">, various bits of /www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/rotala-indica-and-rotala-ammania-bonsai-are-they-the-same-plant.59254/#post-580174']which I "liked"[/URL]>. So not so much Sherlock Holmes, more prematurely senile.

cheers Darrel
I can remember reading through that thread last year, not until you posted it. I was quite happy when I noticed the flowers, so much so that I've started looking after it properly again instead of tearing it down. Not entirely sure how those stems would manage if they were submerged again though.
 
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