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Secret garden - my first aquascape

Thank you @Geoffrey Rea, all makes perfect sense.

I think it is time to replant the H'ra as the tank has been running 5 months now so there's been quite a few trimming sessions. Shall I cut down all of the H'ra or leave some as is? I need to get some good curved scissors first though.

I did a big water change last night and cleaned a very dirty filter - I must have accidentally left it for more than a month. This extra w/c per week definitely feels like the way to go with this tank for now.

My other tank is gin clear all the time so I know what you mean!

Anyway, here is the tank nearly 5 months old now - and I think the plants are definitely looking better under this new approach. I may add some more ludwigia super red back in soon. Thanks again for helping.
 

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here is the tank nearly 5 months old now - and I think the plants are definitely looking better under this new approach. I may add some more ludwigia super red back in soon. Thanks again for helping.

Looking good @Saman on the up and up.

Nice cacti and succulents too 😎

Super red would be a nice addition. Readily puts out side shoots, dependably red, easy to control and replant. What’s not to like?

No problem on help, it’s nice following along with your progress and it’s a great scape.

I did a big water change last night and cleaned a very dirty filter - I must have accidentally left it for more than a month. This extra w/c per week definitely feels like the way to go with this tank for now.

Excellent actions, will do far more for your system/minor algae woes than fiddling with light intensity/duration right now. If 70% for 8 hours with the Twinstar 450 SA is the end game then tune the system to meet the demand. Extra water changes will obviously keep your filter cleaner for longer too.

Shall I cut down all of the H'ra or leave some as is?

Your tank, your rules @Saman

Depends on the look you’re after really. Only point where it would be a must is when it’s blocking flow from the spraybar and/or breaching the surface. Colouring up H’ra with EI is a lost cause, so if letting it grow closer to the light to redden it is on your mind then prepare yourself for orange. Personally like it orange, autumn vibe.

keeping on top of algae removal and water changes for the transition period (how long is this?)

Missed this question a few posts back. Depends on what you are transitioning from and to. For example, recently switched from an ADA lean water column dosing regime to comprehensive, using ammonium nitrate as N source. Older leaf growth on half the tank suffered, but new growth is adapted and after a week, replant all tops and move on. Like the previous suggestion to yourself, just performed a couple of extra water changes to handle the extra decay. The water changes help prevent algae problems on the new growth, which is really what we are protecting.
 
Just a little update on things. The growth, structure and colouring on plants continues to improve. The ludwigia and h'ra are a lovely shade now. I'm still struggling with algae, but it's feeling more manageable with the 2 x weekly w/cs.

@Geoffrey Rea those succulents etc were bought when I was putting off starting the tank - but I'm glad I have them to complete the 'look'! I think I'm ready to buy some more ludwigia super red now things are settling. I must say the autumn vibe of the h'ra is pretty special.
 

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The lights are just going off on the tank on the last picture so it looks a little different but I really like the darker half-light look - it's making me wonder if I go for a tank full of shade loving plants next and create a dark and moody aquascape - maybe with mist too...
 
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A couple more months on and this tank is now mostly free from algae and the plants are growing well. I've STILL not dealt with the h'ra (they need replanting) but otherwise it's ticking along nicely. Now for the shallow tank...
 

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Thought I'd write an update here as it's been a while. Things have been pretty rocky this past month. My first CO2 bottle change-over caused an algae bloom partly because I didn't keep an eye on the levels which suddenly dropped and partly because fitting the new bottle was not straight forward. Thanks to help on here, I identified the washer needed replacing. As the tank was without CO2 for a few days, I've had a mild algae bloom. Then things started going wrong with the CO2 levels - they seemed to fluctuate - every time I checked the bubble counter it was showing something different. This all came to a head yesterday when the bubbles kept stopping completely so once again the tank was left without CO2. Hopefully this problem is sorted after - once again - brilliant help on here (thank you @GHNelson). I have adjusted the working pressure and the bubbles are now flowing and consistent - at least for now!

On the positive side, @Geoffrey Rea you'll be pleased to know I've finally followed your advice and taken down the old h'ra on the left side of the tank and replanted healthy steams. Seemed to go well so I'll do the right side as soon as I have some more to plant.

Attaching some photos showing current algae bloom - back to 2 x water changes a week - the newly planted h'ra - and a nice pic hiding all the flaws!
 

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