Hi all
Its time for update on my current tank situation. Atm I have only 2 tanks running. Both budget friendly
My 100l ish Fluval tank and the small Betta duo.
The fluval was rescaped about an year ago after I gave the Brishardi colony to someone with 9 ft tank and the puffers were moved into that.
Here is a pic of the initial setup
Substrate: moler clay(Sanicat Pink) in back and fine glavel(coarse sand) in front,maple leaf rock and redmoor roots.
Lights:2 T8 18w 6500k.
Filter:JBL CrtistalProfi 1500 plus surface skimmer.
Ferts :Aquarium plant food recipe dosed 15ml a day with macro and micro dosed on alternate days. I have added a little Fe DPTA and Fe EDDHa to micro mix. Curently dosing Easycarbo and Cana Rhyzotonic too.
Livestock:
3 SAP Puffers
5 Amano shrimp (thinking to add few more)
4 Corries
Various snails
Plants.
Buce Brownie Purple
Buce Alamanda V3 (not doing great in this tank)
Buce Needle leaf (not doing much in here )
Anubias pettite
Microsorum Narrow leaf
Microsorum pettite
Pogostemon stellatus "Octopus "/Pogostemon Quadrifolius (great fast growing stem for low tech)
Bolbitis
Various Cryptocoryne sp
Dwarf water lettuce
Salvinia natans
.......
Last year has been a little difficult for me and my tanks suffered a lot of neglect. Luckily the plants and huge filter kept the fish in good health.
Here is pic of it before it went down hill.
Do not have the horror pics but most ferns are gone and had thick BBA on all hardscape and most plants.Did a major trim to the bone on everything apart from Buces and anubias pettite (trimmed them only lightly)and after few weeks of good maintenance, regular ferts and a little easycarbo the BBA is mainly gone and plants are bouncing back to health.
There are few new plants in that were sent to me from forum members (
@John q ,
@Onoma1,
@aec34 and
@dw1305 many thanks to you all)some have quickly melted but there are few that are holding their ground and looks like will take hold.
Particularly exited about the Mini Bolbitis from dw1305 ,Microsorum Narrow leaf and one stem of Potamogeton gayi(I think) from John q.
For some reason I am not able to grow the true weeds like Hygrophila difformis, Hygrophila Siamensis B53,Ceratopteris thalictroides and the likes in this tank.
Here is how it looks now.
The fish managed to mix the substrate due to the clay being light weight. There is a bit of growing in to do but at least is going in the right direction atm.Tbh I am quite surprised how well managed to turn it arround.
The Betta duo was beyond saving.Shrimps died off.Various algae on everything so only option was a complete restart. With a bit of help from family managed to do it 2 weeks ish ago.
Substrate :Tropica aquasoil
Hardscape : Dragon stone
Lights: Arcadia strech led 30cm(not sure atm if it is 11w or 13w)
Plants:Monte carlo
Eleocharis mini
Riccardia
Cryptocoryne albida brown
Dwarf water lettuce
Some stems floating to aid the new start
Ferts.
Aquarium plant food plus extra Fe DPTA and EDDHA
Easycarbo
Canna Rhyzotonic
Fiter:Matured build in filter in back.
Daily water changes
Livestock. It will be shrimp and snails only tank but waiting on plants to grow in so they dont level the substrate.
Few pics.
Hardcape.
After planting
Massive melt one week in.
It wiped 80% of the plants
I may have overshot with plant choice or tissue culture plants are not happy in the new aquasoil but will see.
Now the melt seems to have stopped and whatever is left in is not doing much yet
Diatoms are moving in slowly.
I do have 2 CO2 sets but rather not use them if I can get away with it
Thanks for reading
Regards Konstantin