My First Planted Tank (The End) Juwel Rio 125

[LondonDragon]

Re: My First Planted Tank - Juwel Rio 125

Congrats, Paulo! I've been reading your blog for a couple of months now. Your tank was in fact one of maybe a handful to inspire me in setting up my own planted nano tank and a Juwel Vision 260.
I was wondering about your "glosso-trimming-vow" 🙂 - of not letting it too thick and rot at the end. You also mentioned trimming it on Aug. 15. How did you do that? Do you cut the runners and uproot some plants or you trimmed the ones that just grew too high?
My second question refers to your 60L shrimp-tank (please don't blame me for not posting it there). You said CO2 and PH below 7 is not good for shrimps. I can understand the PH requirement, but do you think my red cherries will suffer if I can keep the PH at 7.2 and keep adding pressurized CO2 - now at about 20mg/l ? Other water parameters: KH 9-10, GH 16, Nitrate 10 mg/l, Nitrite 0, Ammonia 0, Temp.: 26-28° C. I also add Easy Carbo and TPN+.

Many thanks for the kind words, glad this tank inspired you to venture into the planted tank scene, I am glad I am learning along the way and also others can learn from my experience too.
The glosso I just cut from the top runners that are growing upwards or are too high, I don't pull anything out, sometimes I just replant what I trim in areas that are still not covered, but once the gravel is all covered then its just a case of keeping it low, don't be afraid that you end up with sections with no leaves and just the stem part, it will fill out again within a week or so with loads of little leaves and start filling in again 😉
Regarding the shrimp tank (should be really asked there 😉 ) CO2 and PH below 7 are not good for Sulawesi shrimp, Red Cherry shrimp do well with high and low PH, High CO2 and hight temps and will still breed well, they are breeding well in my main tank so don't worry about the Red Cherries. The Sulawesi are the fussy ones thats why I am thinking of setting up another 60 liter tank just for them.
Just had a look at your blog your tanks looking great, how about you post them in here too so people can have a look at them and comment on them also. Thanks for the links on your page too 😉 btw its Paulo and not Paolo hehehe 😉
Feel free to ask any more questions, I will do my best to answer if I can't there are plenty of people here that can 😉
Regards
Paulo

 

[keymaker]

Re: My First Planted Tank - Juwel Rio 125

Spelling error corrected, sry for that. 😳
Glad you like my tank, I am certainly considering posting it here too. I agree with you completely: feedback is one of the most important things - there is so much to learn from those who have more experience.

 

[LondonDragon]

Re: My First Planted Tank - Juwel Rio 125

Just a quick update with some photos, not a lot has changed, just letting things grow now and keeping the glosso trimmed and low, few photos for you to see whats going on so far.

The Staurogyne sp. is doing better now:

So is the P. Helferi:

Close-up of the Fissidens Fontanus:

Hope you liked the photos and tank, critics and comments always welcomed.

Thanks for looking 🙂

 

[JamesM]

Re: My First Planted Tank - Juwel Rio 125

Holy crap, you ended up with loads of Fissidens Greedy boy

Looks great mate, really healthy and lush 🙂

Can I get some blyxa from you next time you do a trim?

 

[aaronnorth]

Re: My First Planted Tank - Juwel Rio 125

the 3rd shot is great 😀

 

[LondonDragon]

Re: My First Planted Tank - Juwel Rio 125

Holy crap, you ended up with loads of Fissidens Greedy boy
Looks great mate, really healthy and lush 🙂
Can I get some blyxa from you next time you do a trim?

thanks James, Fissidens is growing very nicely it does however grow hair algae on it which the amanos clear once in a while, but its looking great and I love it 😉
Blyxa is not doing to great mate even though it looks like it is, not much there to trim either, the bottom leaves just keep falling off not sure why.

Thanks Aaron 🙂

 

[a1Matt]

Re: My First Planted Tank - Juwel Rio 125

Blyxa is not doing to great mate even though it looks like it is, not much there to trim either, the bottom leaves just keep falling off not sure why.

This happens to my Rotala Rotundifolia. I've attributed it to it getting too dense and therefore the nutrients can't flow to it. Just a thought, I could be way off.

 

[LondonDragon]

Re: My First Planted Tank - Juwel Rio 125

This happens to my Rotala Rotundifolia. I've attributed it to it getting too dense and therefore the nutrients can't flow to it. Just a thought, I could be way off.

I have a lot of flow going into it, so that shouldn't be a problem. Could be the hardness of the water, think they prefer soft water if I am not mistaken.

 

[a1Matt]

Re: My First Planted Tank - Juwel Rio 125

Oh well. ...you probably have more flow than most - I spotted a Koralia in a previous pic. I guess it didn't hurt to suggest 😀

 

[Joecoral]

Re: My First Planted Tank - Juwel Rio 125

Looks great LD, the fissidens on the wook is looking really nice.
Keep up the good work!

 

[Thomas McMillan]

Re: My First Planted Tank - Juwel Rio 125

This tank is another that I didn't really like when it first started but I love it now! Everything seems to come together even though it shouldn't if that makes sense. 😀

My only suggestion would be that the right side isn't looking as luch as the left.

 

[keymaker]

Re: My First Planted Tank - Juwel Rio 125

First let me say that my following POW is absolutely subjective.

Contrary to the objectively justified necessity of a mid-ground transition - one of the things that I like about your tank is the fact that there is no transition. It leaves us with an open space in the center and a sudden "wall of life" in the BG waiting to fall on the viewer (helped by the nymphaea and the moss wall concept too). 🙂 It creates tension and sense of depth which would otherwise disappear.

This is not to argue with the classical necessity of having a mid-ground transition. The tank would (will) look wonderful that way too. Having a transition will certainly move the design towards the classical look. 🙂 What I'm saying is that tension helps at times. If purposefully used.

Like I said it is only a subjective view. 🙂 Cheers.

 

[LondonDragon]

Re: My First Planted Tank - Juwel Rio 125

Oh well. ...you probably have more flow than most - I spotted a Koralia in a previous pic. I guess it didn't hurt to suggest 😀

Also upgraded the pump in my internal filter from 600lph to 1000lph, what a difference that made!Hopefully things will get better now.

Looks great LD, the fissidens on the wook is looking really nice.
Keep up the good work!

Many thanks 🙂 the fissidens is awsome 🙂

This tank is another that I didn't really like when it first started but I love it now! Everything seems to come together even though it shouldn't if that makes sense. 😀
My only suggestion would be that the right side isn't looking as luch as the left.

You didn't like it?? hehe at least I have worked in it since and you have grown to like it hehe
I agree with you about the right hand side, I have planted some L. Aromatica there until I find some nice looking stems.

Contrary to the objectively justified necessity of a mid-ground transition - one of the things that I like about your tank is the fact that there is no transition. It leaves us with an open space in the center and a sudden "wall of life" in the BG waiting to fall on the viewer (helped by the nymphaea and the moss wall concept too). 🙂 It creates tension and sense of depth which would otherwise disappear.

I know most will suggest there is a necessity for midground and I am working on that now, the anubias, the mosses, the Helferi, the Staurogyne, its all getting there slowly 😉

But after all that I have some bad news about the tank, since nothing has changed recently its pretty odd, over the last two days I have lost one of my corys and can't see the other one anywhere and also lost two of the aspitogrammas a male and a female. Find this very strange, I did a 50% water change yesterday and installed the new pump on my internal filter and this morning things were looking good, might do some water tests these evenning.

 

[Thomas McMillan]

Re: My First Planted Tank - Juwel Rio 125

This tank is another that I didn't really like when it first started but I love it now! Everything seems to come together even though it shouldn't if that makes sense. 😀
My only suggestion would be that the right side isn't looking as luch as the left.

You didn't like it?? hehe at least I have worked in it since and you have grown to like it hehe
I agree with you about the right hand side, I have planted some L. Aromatica there until I find some nice looking stems.

I didn't mean it in a bad way. 😀 I just think it's great how much your tank has improved. I'm sure you'll have the right looking as good as the left in a few weeks.

That's weird about the deaths...

 

[Fred Dulley]

Re: My First Planted Tank - Juwel Rio 125

Oh well. ...you probably have more flow than most - I spotted a Koralia in a previous pic. I guess it didn't hurt to suggest 😀

Also upgraded the pump in my internal filter from 600lph to 1000lph, what a difference that made!Hopefully things will get better now.

That's a damn good idea Paulo. Should have thought of that. Might give it a go in my own Rio125 if you think it is worth it because last time I checked, they were around £40?

 

[LondonDragon]

Re: My First Planted Tank - Juwel Rio 125

That's a damn good idea Paulo. Should have thought of that. Might give it a go in my own Rio125 if you think it is worth it because last time I checked, they were around £40?

Brand new on Ebay mate, £23 inc postage! 😉

 

[joyous214]

Re: My First Planted Tank - Juwel Rio 125

Said it on another forum but WOW Love the tanks. Currently trying out growing something on my wood seeing how it goes...!! 🙄

 

[LondonDragon]

Re: My First Planted Tank - Juwel Rio 125

Said it on another forum but WOW Love the tanks. Currently trying out growing something on my wood seeing how it goes...!! 🙄

Thanks Joy, the fissidens looks great on branches and off course mosses always look good too 😉

 

[LondonDragon]

Re: My First Planted Tank - Juwel Rio 125

That's a damn good idea Paulo. Should have thought of that. Might give it a go in my own Rio125 if you think it is worth it because last time I checked, they were around £40?

Fred just to give you an update, its well worth it mate, in the last couple of days the water is so much clear now, had some surface scum which is now gone too, my front glass was needing a clean and now its almost clear too which suprised me.

 

[Fred Dulley]

Re: My First Planted Tank - Juwel Rio 125

Brilliant. Appreciate the update. Will get one off ebay when I get my pay slip.