My EA Aquascaper has just arrived.. :D

[Matt1994]

Hi,
I like it.
Good height and interest with the manzanita, nice rocks, plenty of space for planting. Great potential, look forward to following this one

Hi ady thankyou for your comment here it is now all fixed


What do you think ?


Here is the scape wood is now fixed to the rear right (large rock) and the other rocks are just places I'm really happy with this now as feel it looks like the wood is coming through the stone and the bit of manzanita overlaps the stone at the rear also got my co2 bottle last weekend and an ada hang on thermometer (thought id treat myself) whats everyone's think ? Still room to plant in-between the Stone and for the carpet at the front (Will attach some pics now) thanks all
Matt

 

[Matt1994]

Here are some of the other bits I have to ready for when I set up

Twinstar neo diffuser M
Seachem matrix
Seachem drop checker (smaller than co2 art)
Ista top mount co2 bottle 2L
Strideways Pro co2 reg
Co2 art tubing
Ada hang on thermometer 8mm width
Ada check valve

So all I need now is ...
Prime
Stability
Plants
Scissors
Tweezers
Ferts
Purigen .

Nearly there seems like its taken forever.. cannot wait to plant it now !


Thanks
Matt

 

[Ady34]

Love the scape.
I’d maybe utilise epiphyte plants on the rocks and around the wood bases and utilise the soil areas surrounding for the substrate rooted plants. If you use a carpet plant it will creep into any useable gaps.
Cheerio,

 

[Deano3]

I also think the scape looks great i did the same with adding wood stuck right up to add some height, lookimg forward to this one and some great gear you have

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk

 

[Matt1994]

Love the scape.
I’d maybe utilise epiphyte plants on the rocks and around the wood bases and utilise the soil areas surrounding for the substrate rooted plants. If you use a carpet plant it will creep into any useable gaps.
Cheerio,

Thanks ady I have a plant list together or not complete but what I am.thinkig of can I post it in here ? Hoping for some help on whether people think the plants will go together and how many pots and 1 2 grow pots j will need to heavily plant

Thanks matt

 

[Matt1994]

I also think the scape looks great i did the same with adding wood stuck right up to add some height, lookimg forward to this one and some great gear you have

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk

Thankyou Dean! Took me while till I was happy with it tbh ! I am happy with it now though no where near top level like some guys on here but im happy for my first proper aquascape I cannot wait to get it planted

Thanks
Matt

 

[Matt1994]

Heres plants i like and want some at least in my tank
I'll post a copy of what I have listed down and hopefully can have some advice if people think it will work etc (more experience than me)


Cannot wait to plant this thing I feel its going to good look pretty good
(For a newbie anyway) haha

 

[Matt1994]

HI ALL!!
hope everyone is ok and have had a good Christmas

The tank well, was delayed from mid December due to been out of work and little spare funds but now the next bit...

Its planted...


After collecting the plants from horizon aquatics and spending late afternoon till gone 6 planting filling and setting up all equipment it is done

I am so so happy with it and will get some photos of it tomorrow (lights have just gone off , and its still very sightly cloudy)

I hope everyone likes it as much as I do when I get some pictures tomorrow

For my first proper high end setup I am very proud of myself . Obvious wont be up the level of some people on here...




Already looking forward to firstly my wager change tomorrow and seeing it all grow in over the coming months


(Sorry this thread probably seems to have gone on forever)

But at last can now have progress of the aquascape !!!!

Thanks everyone
Matt

 

[Matt1994]

Hi everyone


Post water change .
Day 1.

Adding stability daily , prime every water change and dosing tropica specialised fertiliser daily


Drop checker when lights come on is light green . Getting to slightly yellow colour before going off 1h before lights off (read up on some threads on here whilst no fish run co2 slightly higher than I will)

Light is on for 6 hours a day and max power of 50%





Front plants are a mix of monte carlo, lilaeopses and Marsilea

Mid ground
Crypts
Wendtii
Petchti
And
Hygrophilia araguia


Background
Left side to middle
Ludwigia super red
Right side rotala hra
And a trident fern as centre piece

And some red root floaters
Hope everyone likes it

And some purple buce on the wood
Will get some better pictures later. This is about 5 mins after water change



Filter media bottom tray blue foam
Matrix in Middle trays top orange foam and a bag of purigen



Whats everyone think
Thanks again to everyone for being so patient with this thread will continue to upload as growth happens and continue my journey of my first ever proper aquascape

 

[Siege]

Looking good. A few suggestions -

• increase the plant mass, especially the carpet.
• more plants on the rocks, more Araguia and pogostemon helferi will both work well.
• bang up the co2. 24/7 for a few days, go yellow.
• put the co2 diffuser lower down to help the co2 to disperse.
• lift up the filter outlet for more surface agitation. The more oxygen the better.
• big water changes - as low as it’ll go!
• ADA clear water is an amazing product, consider this (although not a must), I’ve found it really helpful at start up.

 

[Matt1994]

Looking good. A few suggestions -

• increase the plant mass, especially the carpet.
• more plants on the rocks, more Araguia and pogostemon helferi will both work well.
• bang up the co2. 24/7 for a few days, go yellow.
• put the co2 diffuser lower down to help the co2 to disperse.
• lift up the filter outlet for more surface agitation. The more oxygen the better.
• big water changes - as low as it’ll go!
• ADA clear water is an amazing product, consider this (although not a must), I’ve found it really helpful at start up.

Thankyou Seige very much !! Will get some more carpet plants ordered ASAP!


And literally just bang co2 up and let it run 24/7?

Lifted lilly pipe up for more surface agitation and lower diffuser (done)!!!



Thankyou for your reply will give it all a go ! And will look into the clear water ? Is it a daily thing and how long do I continue it for or just every day always ? Thanks again and hope you have a good new year

 

[Siege]

Thanks for the nice reply, it’s no problem at all!

Yes just turn up the co2 and leave it on 24/7 for a few days to help the plants get adjusted. Go yellow. gradually turn it down from there.

I’ve found ADA Clear Water helpful in a couple of new start ups. Just use it at water change. One squirt for each 20L. It clears water instantly, and also removes phosphate from water.
I know perhaps not what we suggest on an Ei Philosophy but it goes with the ADA way and does seem to work really well on a new immature tank when you are probably only dosing micros, if at all. I’d use it until you think the tank is stable.

You can find it here or your local shop Horizon will probably stock it also. It is not a ‘must’ so If you are pushed for budget Give it a miss and buy extra plants instead!

ADA Clear Water 200ml

ADA CLEAR WATER 200ml CLEAR WATER is an Aqua Conditioner for eliminating phosphate (PO4) from aquarium water and it flocculates fine particles

www.aquariumgardens.co.uk

 

[Matt1994]

Hi seige (and anyone else following thread)!
No really appreciate the feedback and for taking time to reply ! The drop checker yellow 24/7 at the min increased surface movement and I also lowered the diffuser yesterday! Can't get any more carpet plants yet but as soon as I am able to (next week or so) will do so ! Another 70% water change today
Tank seeming a lot clearer post water change which was nice was able to have a good look through the side view and looks as though the ludwigia super red is growing a little already (might be just my ) aha !! Also looks like some small roots appearing on the red root floaters

Temp set at 22 degrees and will continue with 50-70% water changes for the next couple of weeks and then do every other day for at least a 2 week spell! ( I really enjoy the water changes) and with having the amazonia v2 substrate seems a good idea too !


I'll probably grab a bottle of the clear water when I get the carpet plants !

But I know only on the second day but all seems good so far .


I'll attach a couple of photos now to compare the clarity both post water change
(Yesterday and today)

 

[Matt1994]

Hi all

Update
2 pots of Eleocharis mini added to the foreground followed by a 70% water change

Again photo post water change


Also attached are day 1 vs 2
And 2 vs 3 to compare each day definitely getting clearer water

Drop checker was very light green/yellow before water change

 

[Matt1994]

Tonights tv ..

 

[Matt1994]

Hi all

Day 4 post water change

All seems good so far
Few leafs on crypts trimmed off
And seems as though the ludwigia super red is definitely colouring up a bit! And I'm sure its growing !!

70% water change done

 

[Paulthewitt]

Looks nice... classy.
Will look even better when it all grows in

 

[Matt1994]

Day 11 Post water change

80% water change done today
Tank temperature 22 degrees

Cleaned pre filter
Glass and lily pipes

Definitely some good growth

Some biofilm on the wood so siphoned off during water change,
Trimmed a fair few crypt leaves off as suffering with crypt melt !!
Co2 now turned down a little so drop checker is lime green

Light still on for 6 hours
Maxing out at 50% intensity.
Still doing at least a 70% water change a day and just had a general good clean and tidy up, some of the monte carlo taken out as it was I feel beyond recovering but all else doing great!


Ludwidiga super red is really starting to colour up now more so before water change,
Rotala hra growing and getting slight orange tips (was a very small 1-2 grow pot to begin with)

Started dosing 1 pump of tropica specialised fertiliser 4 days ago straight after water change and super red seems to have definitely coloured up more since..

 

[Matt1994]

Hi everyone

Added to above post

CO2 on 2 hours before lights so coming on via timer at 1pm

Lighting schedule is at the min .
3pm 0%
4pm 50%
5pm 50%
6pm 50%
7pm 50%
8pm 50%
9pm 50%
9.30 0%

Dosing 1 pump of tropica specialised fertiliser


Trying an all in one at the minute as eith work hours this works easier but hoping in future to do separate ferts to really make the colours pop


Does 1 pump sound enough or should I be dosing more ?

 

[Matt1994]

Drop checker is blue in the pics added today. As took it out to clean the glass and pipework and knocked it off my table so thought best to renew liquid as wasnt much left (hence the blue colour) was only added back to tank with new liquid just after water change!
Thanks all