Re-education.....

[Tim Harrison]

However that video Tim edited, that music sounds like it’s from an 80’s inappropriate adult film

Nooo...! I'll have to do another edit now with different music.
Well actually maybe not... it is, after all, aquascaping porn

What’s next?.......
View attachment 133057

My heart actually skipped a beat when my browser opened up on your empty tank Ady

 

[Jayefc1]

My heart actually skipped a beat when my browser opened up on your empty tank Ady

Il second that especially at 1.20am how cruel @Ady34

 

[Ady34]

Nooo...! I'll have to do another edit now with different music.
Well actually maybe not... it is, after all, aquascaping porn

My heart actually skipped a beat when my browser opened up on your empty tank Ady

Thanks Tim

Il second that especially at 1.20am how cruel @Ady34

straight on it

tank is still going strong, I think I might recategorise it as an ‘fishtankquascape’......

few species in there, you can see most of them in this shot ......

Gotta love a congo tetra, and a harlequin rasbora, and a buce, and a microsorum petite.....

and just for the heck of it, a male sturisoma aureum with maturity bristles......

Cheerio,
Ady.

 

[Jayefc1]

straight on it

That you was mate you had it planned and I feel right for it

 

[Jayefc1]

Any way back to reality nice pics of the fishtankqascape its looking really healthy again mate

 

[Ady34]

Any way back to reality nice pics of the fishtankqascape its looking really healthy again mate

Cheers Jay, yeah it’s looking good again. No bba left at all.

 

[Tim Harrison]

Gotta love a congo tetra

They are spectacular fish, and yours are mighty fine specimens

 

[Ady34]

They are spectacular fish, and yours are mighty fine specimens

They are stunning, and that image is a picture of calm......however it’s not so calm when they are hunting shrimp, stealing the bottom feeder food and playing with it in the tank or chucking water at me, the walls and over the front of the tank at feeding time

 

[CooKieS]

Lovely fishes and photography Ady

 

[Wookii]

They are stunning, and that image is a picture of calm......however it’s not so calm when they are hunting shrimp, stealing the bottom feeder food and playing with it in the tank or chucking water at me, the walls and over the front of the tank at feeding time

Now that’s be a video that would be interesting to see!

 

[Gill]

Love the fish in this scape, they are showing tru colors and behaviuors.
How are you finding the Gold Tetras, Have you seen any of them displaying a slight lime green tint to them. They really do look stunning in the right settings with enough light that you can see the colour shifting in their scales as they move between different areas of the tank.

My Mistake, the Black Neons looked Gold for an instant.

 

[Ady34]

Lovely fishes and photography Ady

Thanks, although the photography is limited to my iPhone 8 and enhanced with instagram filters

Now that’s be a video that would be interesting to see!

One day.....

Love the fish in this scape, they are showing tru colors and behaviuors.
How are you finding the Gold Tetras, Have you seen any of them displaying a slight lime green tint to them. They really do look stunning in the right settings with enough light that you can see the colour shifting in their scales as they move between different areas of the tank.

My Mistake, the Black Neons looked Gold for an instant.

Thanks Gill, they are gold/platinum tetra, and they do have a very blue/green sheen and an obvious stripe. I’m still unsure of the exact species they are tbh, there was some discussion earlier in the journal. Perhaps they have morphed back to the more natural colour without enhancement from diet. Either way they are stunning in the flesh and something which I cannot capture on camera.

cheerio,
Ady.

 

[Ady34]

Hi all,
during the lockdown I’m finding myself really enjoying viewing the tank. I’ve been pinching out plants here and there to give better shape and lines to the scape and I am really appreciating the fish. The ludwigia needs another trim, this time I’m not going to remove the stems completely, but trim them in tank and replant the tips to encourage extra plant mass from the cut stems.
This scape doesn’t offer the complexity and detail from plant variety of many competition tanks, but I feel the plants are really coming into there own now and looking how I envisaged for this slow growing low maintenance tank.
Anyway, this has inspired another phone video which is best viewed in 1080p.
It’s a 2min 30 second video running round the tank trying to capture the fish and the use of plants and layers. The end shots particularly illustrate this and it is one of my favourite aspects. The substrate space is also shown as it is something i felt was important for the bottom dwellers of the tank. The extra dimension gained from open top tanks is interesting. Looking down and seeing the movement of water Is calming and being able to view the tank from many angles offers pockets of viewpoints which are unique.
I think I’d like to get better images and video content of the tank as there are lots of reflections created by a mirror on the adjacent wall......
.....this one.....

I will look to cover this at some point and darken the room to try and capture something of better quality, however I am limited to my iPhone for these. I also feel the iPhone doesn’t quite capture the aspect correctly and seems to shorten the tank length a little as it does look different in reality. Anyway, I’m rambling a little now so hope you are all staying safe in these uncertain times? Enjoy your tanks, I know I am
Cheerio,
Ady.

 

[Ady34]

Whilst not working the tank is definitely getting more tlc, and I have more time for viewing.
Thought I’d share again a typical weekly maintenance routine as I’m now actually carrying this out and it goes to show that you get out what you put in. The algae woes are behind me and the tank is looking vibrant again because of it.

I start by removing the cabinet doors as this offers easy access to the equipment below. I then lay down an old roll of carpet to prevent spillages on the living room carpet

The water level gets dropped if necessary, and I give the glass a quick wipe to remove any biofilm/algae...

Next is to remove any loose leaves or debris from around the tank...

Next I trim and plants or stray leaves, mainly bolbitis, ludwigia and any damaged leaves I see. There was a few on the crypt balansae which needed thinning out a bit anyway.

I said i was going to cut the ludwigia in tank this time, however it had developed a lot of roots so I decided to remove and trim again as I’m not a fan of seeing the white roots....

Trim down, I normally then remove a couple of leaves from the lower part of the stem in preparation of replanting...

.....and shortened ready to replant.....

Pushed back into the bolbitis, it straightens itself up pretty quickly.....

Next day....

I need a step as I’m a bit short ...

The red ludwigia definitely adds to the scape....

I also try to remove any new plantlets that start to grow on the tips of the ferns as they look a little untidy.

Once all the trimming is done....

....I then clean the substrate. I have two sizes of siphon/gravel cleaner. A little one for getting into the more awkward areas, and then a larger one for doing the majority of the sand. It’s amazing how much detritus builds up in just one week.

This is siphoned away down a drain away next to the tank:

Some water is used to water the houseplants

Whilst the remainder of water is being drained I take the opportunity to clean the pre-filters in the Fluval G6 filters. I do this twice weekly now and I also swap the glassware for a duplicate set I have cleaned ready. Every 2-4 weeks I clean the pipes also and fully strip down the filters on an alternate 2 week cycle.

The water level is pretty low for quite a while so I regularly mist the exposed plants to prevent them drying out too much.....

I also quite like the view with the exposed plants....

once all is back together I refill via the the thermostatic mixing valve and HMA filter direct from the boiler:

Put the ‘stuff’ back in the cabinet.....

.....doors back on and enjoy......

I even extended the photoperiod tonight as I was enjoying relaxing in front of the tank....

Cheerio,
Ady.

 

[Jayefc1]

I'm so jealous it's truly beautiful mate and so glad your getting out what you put in there was a.time I thought it was a goner but you have brought it back to it's TRUE glory well done

 

[Tim Harrison]

That's one heck of an update Ady, great to see the scape looking so good

 

[Jayefc1]

That's one heck of an update

It was that but really intresting to see how other do there maintenance

 

[Ady34]

I'm so jealous it's truly beautiful mate and so glad your getting out what you put in there was a.time I thought it was a goner but you have brought it back to it's TRUE glory well done

Thanks Jayefc1, is your name Jay? I keep meaning to ask as I want to just write Jay all the time however don’t want to if that’s not your name
Yeah I have to say I was a little worried myself when the bba reared it’s ugly head. I knew my maintenance hadn’t been on point and some basics had slipped but feared also that it could have been the wood deteriorating and a forced strip down may have been necessary Thankfully it was all on me so sorting looking after the tank and tweaking the co2 again worked
Really appreciate your interest too mate

That's one heck of an update Ady, great to see the scape looking so good

yeah I guess spending more time in front of the tank encourages it....that and more time on my hands allows it I do think though that this hobby offers a great stabiliser in situations like this, you can focus on nurturing something and enjoying it too, it definitely helps keep the mind focused.

It was that but really intresting to see how other do there maintenance

Somebody may take something from it and if nothing else it’s something to look at

Cheerio.

 

[Jayefc1]

our name Jay?

Yes it is mate

feared also that it could have been the wood deteriorating and a forced strip down may have been necessary

Yeah when you was saying the wood seems to be falling apart I feared the same

sorting looking after the tank and tweaking the co2 again worked
Really appreciate your interest too mate

I'm.really glad it is sorted by dy my fav tank in here

 

[Ady34]

I'm.really glad it is sorted by dy my fav tank in here

Me too mate, and thank you, that’s really nice to hear