The Crystal Island

[darthpaul]

This weekend I stripped down my 30L Fluval Ebi | UK Aquatic Plant Society as I am setting it up to finally try CRS.

I have bought myself an RO unit, put Ebi Gold in for substrate and added lava rock and redmoor wood. So far the planting is rotala and pelia from my stripped down tank but I need to buy more plants this week. Plan is to keep it low tech as its for CRS. Am thinking about Crypt Parva for around the bottom of the wood, Tropica Eleocharis sp. 'mini' for the sides and something like a fern or anubia on the wood.

Here it is so far....

 

[Edvet]

Looks like a whole lot of light, maybe a bit to much.

 

[darthpaul]

Been using the light on that tank for quite a while now with no adverse effects but I shall be monitoring it.

 

[Lindy]

Looking good! The shrimp will love it. Stick some leaves down the back for biofilm. Is that mini or round pelia?

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[darthpaul]

Will add some catapa leaves later, didnt get a chance to sort them yesterday 🙂

Its mini pellia (I think), got 3 lumps of it poked in the rocks.

 

[Lindy]

Its mini pellia (I think), got 3 lumps of it poked in the rocks.

Couldn't tell on the mobile but can see now that it is mini. I'll send you some round pelia with the shrimp, its good for shrimplets.

 

[darthpaul]

Awesome thanks Lindy 🙂

 

[darthpaul]

Have now added Anubias Petite to the wood and Crpyt Parva to the front. Still have 1-2-Grow Eleocharis sp. 'mini' to add to the side.

 

[darthpaul]

Tank now fully planted and settling down ready for shrimp. TDS is currently 185

Eleocharis sp. 'mini' added to the sides and my gUSH pod planted with dwarf hair grass mixed with a bit of hygro Japan and HC courtesy of Hoggie

Pod close up

 

[darthpaul]

Wooo I have shrimp from Lindy (thank you again) only got 1 quick snap last night and the lights were off so will get some better ones later hopefully but here they are!

 

[Lindy]

(thank you again)

It is a pleasure to sell shrimp to someone who is doing everything they can possibly do to keep the shrimp happy and healthy.

 

[darthpaul]

OK few more pics now I can see them 😀




My crypt parva isnt doing well and now covered in algae 🙁 not sure what I can do to save it.

 

[Lindy]

Take out the affected leaves and reduce your light!

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[darthpaul]

I would have to remove all the plants leaving nothing! Have reduced my lighting from 7.5 hours to 6.5 hours and set the max brightness to 80% as I have a controller on there atm.

 

[Lindy]

I think 50% might be better but for low tech might still be too much. Is it a tmc tile? I had a 400 mini over a cube, no controller. I had frosted vinyl on the glass lid and the light was raised to eventually 80 cm above tank and was still too much.

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[darthpaul]

Yeah its a TMC 400 tile, mine is on a mountaray bracket so cant adjust the height. I will just have a play with the levels see how I get on. Plants are growing really well other than the crypts.

 

[Lindy]

Yeah but the algae is growing real well too 🙄

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[Alastair]

80 percent is definitely too high for a low tech especially of that size. The 400s have the lenses over so lighting is much more concentrated. Id drop it down to 40 percent for now whilst you try to get algae under control.

 

[darthpaul]

Ok will do thanks for the help lovely people

 

[darthpaul]

Just turned my filter off to do my water change and usual maintenance and the shrimp went nuts! Not sure they like the current at the front when the filter is on, so made a video lol