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Mangrove Beach (A journey into the unknown!)

Thanks again Darrel, yeah I know all about high nitrates. Before this I have kept discus for a few years - to begin I used to cut RO and tap water but storing and heating the preped water became a pain.

In the end I purchased a nitrate vessel which was amazing, lasted a couple of weeks once you had charged the resin and gave you 0 nitrates. I was running a costant drip system too so changing around 250L of water a day. Using one with a planted tank I would probably only have to charge it 6 monthly at the most. Sad thing is I practically gave it away in the end as part of the deal when I sold the fish!

Anyway - I still have a brand new unopened RO filter here if I ever needed to cut the nitrates down again 🙂.

My new Co2 regulator should be here today, Im now undecided - fill the tank up and soak the wood for a couple of weeks so when I plant its ready to add everything exaclt where I want it or just leave the system dry until Im ready to plant?!
 
Given the wood is such a major component of this scape I'd want to get the wood soaking - either in the tank or elsewhere.

Filling tank now will give your filter a start, though if you have access to some media from another tank that's the faster route.

I do like to fill the tank though & check the scape through water rather than air 🙂
 
Hi all,
Chrispowell said:
In the end I purchased a nitrate vessel which was amazing, lasted a couple of weeks once you had charged the resin and gave you 0 nitrates.
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I'd forgotten about these, but <"nitrate ion selective anion resins"> are another option, they exchange a NO3- ion for a chloride (Cl-), and you can recharge them with salt (NaCl). I know Shirley Aquatics used to do one, and you can still get <a "Pozzani filter">.

We used to use some <"Amberlite"> resins, but it rapidly becomes an expensive option, mainly due to fouling (not such a problem with tap water).
http://www.pozzani.co.uk/water-filters-185/product_info.html
Plants <"will do the same job">, but you need <"a fast growing plant"> with access to aerial CO2. In waste water lagoons they usually use either Water Hyacinth (Eichornia) or Water Lettuce (Pistia), but recent research has indicated that there may be advantages in using <"Duckweed"> (Lemna spp), partially because they have a higher protein content (>40%).

My "Duckweed" of choice is Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum), There isn't much research on it, but it will perform the same function as any other floater, and what research there is (unfortunately <"it is in Spanish">) suggests that it might perform better at lower nutrient loadings than Lemna, Eichornia etc.

cheers Darrel
 
I could be wrong, just a thought from my head.
If I'm reading your water report correctly it stated NO3 level about 30 mg/l. I think this is acceptable level for planted tank. I think you'll need to add some phosphorus though to provide balanced nutrition for plants. Fast growers like rotala and hygrophila should eat them, in my opinion. That means you can always just start your tank with enough plant mass using tap water only and then add nitrate reducing solutions if necessary.
 
Glad you asked!

Plants arrived today, sorry for the poor quality pictures, will try and get some better ones soon!

Never planted a tank out before so let me know if you spot any school boy mistakes. Should I whack some liquid carbon in aswell as high co2 for a week (no live stock)?

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Feedback welcome

Chris
 
Let me just ask you.
This rock, on the sand, over the wood. Is just to hold the root down, or this will stay there. For me is a little disconnected. Sorry for that! 🙂

On the other hand, the planting process seems to be great!
 
JackMartins said:
Let me just ask you.
This rock, on the sand, over the wood. Is just to hold the root down, or this will stay there. For me is a little disconnected. Sorry for that! 🙂

On the other hand, the planting process seems to be great!
Click to expand...

It's actually there for the opposit reason, to try and make It look like the wood was ment to be with the stone, obviously the rock on top of the main wood is just a weight for now.

Thank you for your comment
 
Here's a video 24 hours after planting. Most plants look better, trident fern looks abit wilted - hopefully it will settle.

Lights on at 50% for 6 hours and 3-4bps co2 going in as no livestock

Should I add liquid co2? If so should I over dose?

Any advice welcome! Enjoy

 
Chrispowell said:
Here's a video 24 hours after planting. Most plants look better, trident fern looks abit wilted - hopefully it will settle.

Lights on at 50% for 6 hours and 3-4bps co2 going in as no livestock

Should I add liquid co2? If so should I over dose?

Any advice welcome! Enjoy
Click to expand...

You don't need liquid Co2. Pressurized Co2 is good enough, and perhaps increase it to 5-6bps. Dosing is not required at this stage. Consider it later after second week
 
Honestly, every time I see heater place diagonally, I'm cringe. And not because it won't work this way but rather it looks for me odd.
 
The heater is purely temporary until pay day and I get an inline one, also want a dosing pump.

Thanks for the advice on liquid co2, have ordered a pond bomb to get the filters cycling ready for some ottos,SAE and shrimp. Are cherry shrimps as good as amano when it comes to algae eatting?
 
Chrispowell said:
Are cherry shrimps as good as amano when it comes to algae eatting?
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Good question...Most would definitely plumb for Amanos. But I reckon they probably eat different kinds, and weight for weight probably about the same amount, but Amanos are a lot bigger😉
I always hedge my bets and use both.
But that said if I had to choose Amanos would be top of my list.
 
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