Tranquility - My low tech 186L journey

[bazz]

Will check the parameters towards Friday next week - Tank will have been running then for 4.5 weeks abort dark start for 3 weeks so I am hoping I’m approaching the stage of adding some fish.

Personally I wouldn't be tempted to add any fish for a good couple of weeks yet, the dark start is good for cycling the 'Nitrogen cycle' but it wasn't until you put those plants in 1.5 weeks ago that the Biorhythm would have kicked off, plus I can see that a lot, if not most of your plants have not fully transitioned yet (I can see new growth) so they will not be assimilating fully and also adding to the soup as the existing leaves die off.
Once your readings are good Clithon Snails are a good first critter they will help with Algae, Biofilm and dying plant matter without multiplying or leaving eggs everywhere like the Nerites. Snails or not, I'd still wait a couple of weeks from this point before adding Fish or Shrimp, and then introduce them slowly into a lovely thriving aquarium, I'll wager you will have a better success rate.
Tank looks great BTW and I look forward to seeing it in a month or so's time, and it's also obviously yours to do with want you with, I'm only giving you my slanted view on life.
Cheers!

 

[Spartacus]

Hello Bazz,

Thank you very much for taking the time to contribute to my little project 😊

I welcome any and all advice and as you say it takes longer than we think / longer than we want for a tank to be fish ready. I have parked the idea of fish for a few weeks longer as I can concentrate on creating a world that I can grow plants then the plan for fish can be looked into.

It’s so much fun and a welcome distraction this little world we create - I’m happy to take my time and give it the best shot possible!

Best Wishes,

Murray 😊

 

[Spartacus]

Hello Folks,

Not much to report will do a small maintenance trim tonight.

Have uploaded a video to YouTube - I don’t think MD Fish Tanks has anything to worry about…



Just thought it would be a change from a photo of some sand rocks and plants! Going away for a few days in around 3 weeks so may just wait til then to buy fish / clean up crew.

Just still trying to work out a plan for when / what little ones to put in the tank 😊

I always wanted to get Celestial Pearl Danios but I hear they can hunt shrinplets / berries shrimp which I don’t like the idea of. I like shrimp but know nature is nature just trying to create a little haven where everything is happy.

Thanks,

Murray

 

[Spartacus]

Hello Folks,

Here are todays weekly test results:

Tank water:

GH: 7
KH: 5
pH: 7.2
Ammonia: 0,05 (more yellow than green)
Nitrates: 0.5
Nitrites: 0.1

Im not sure how accurate they are (I’m trying to follow the rule of if it looks fine it is fine) rather than be ruled by some test “results”

My Amazon frogbit is colouring up and multiplying nicely. Only had a small amount of Anubias melt.

Tempted to go to the fish shop just to see what they have to get out the house. It’s only been 4 weeks (3 weeks dark start 1 week planted) so judging by consensus it’s still to early to add livestock.

Need to start planning a tank for my workplace 😊

Thanks,

Murray

 

[Spartacus]

Small update:

Two of the Anubias have melt issues (one was rotting away to nothing including the rhizome - Other is 50/50. Also lost a Schismatoglottis prietoi which is a shame as I really liked the plant.

I haven’t seen any algae - It’s been approaching just over 4.5 weeks including a 3 week dark start.

Went to 5 different local fish shops but none had any Amano shrimp or Cleython shrimp. We are going away for a few days in October so temping to get an initial small quantity clean up crew only then on return get the other fish in batches.

Livestock wise I’m thinking:

Celestial Pearl Danios
Chill Rasboras
Bloody Mary Shrimp
Otoclinclus
Amano Shrimp

I know CPD’s and rasboras are smaller size and the tank is 180L I hope that’s not a problem I really like the look of them.

There is a friendly local fish shop that I am happy with and one that I really like that is a 2 hour drive. Other than that every other shop I have tried I’m not sure I can be bothered going back to 😊

Thanks,

Murray

 

[bazz]

We are going away for a few days in October so temping to get an initial small quantity clean up crew only then on return get the other fish in batches.

Wise decision!

I know CPD’s and rasboras are smaller size and the tank is 180L I hope that’s not a problem I really like the look of them.

I can't see that being a problem at all, it gives you the opportunity to have more of each of which I'm sure will gratify you and the fish and enable them to be in a more natural environment. I would give it a bit longer before introducing the Chilis until the plants have matured a bit and your floaters have multiplied to give them respite from the current. I think the CPDs are slightly more robust and hang out lower down so would introduce them first. It's funny for me because I would never have dreamt of keeping the two species together with one preferring soft water and the other moderately hard, but with but GH 7 and KH 5 I think you should be able to get away with it.
I'll tell you what though, I really like this tank!

 

[richardcunliffe]

opportunity to have more of each

Plus 1. Big shoals of little fish gives great scale visually as well as being good for them. I think of lot of people arent bold enough to stick to that and want to try keeping lot of different species. Understandable, but I like your plan. Nice tank btw!

 

[Wookii]

Looking great @Spartacus, and text book start up.

As a low tech tank, 5 hours of lighting is a little too low I'd say (I start all mine on 12 hours out of the gate). I'd start stretching it out if I were you, bump it up to 8 hours, and gradually increase it to 12. You can always dial the Vivid down a bit more if necessary to compensate as you have mainly low light plants.

Chilli's are a favourite of mine, and will look great in there - if you are just adding Chilli's and CPD's, you could easy add a shoal of 50+ Chilli's and not even see many in a tank that size. Also, I know they're not on your list, but that sand substrate is begging for some Cory's to go nuzzling around in it. Salt and Pepper Cory's (C Habrosus) are a good choice if you want to keep to similar sizes fish - super cute and stick mainly to the substrate like larger Cory's.

I would go ahead and add your Cherry shrimp straight away, and let them start getting established. CPD's (indeed most fish) will hunt the shrimplets, but given the amount of hiding holes in your rockwork, they should easily outbreed any predation.

 

[Spartacus]

Wise decision!

I can't see that being a problem at all, it gives you the opportunity to have more of each of which I'm sure will gratify you and the fish and enable them to be in a more natural environment. I would give it a bit longer before introducing the Chilis until the plants have matured a bit and your floaters have multiplied to give them respite from the current. I think the CPDs are slightly more robust and hang out lower down so would introduce them first. It's funny for me because I would never have dreamt of keeping the two species together with one preferring soft water and the other moderately hard, but with but GH 7 and KH 5 I think you should be able to get away with it.
I'll tell you what though, I really like this tank!

Hello bazz 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to comment on my ramblings. I really appreciate the input! We are going down to see the monster in law at the end of October 🙁 I may be able to squeeze in a trip to Horizon so it may not be all bad news 😀

Plus 1. Big shoals of little fish gives great scale visually as well as being good for them. I think of lot of people arent bold enough to stick to that and want to try keeping lot of different species. Understandable, but I like your plan. Nice tank btw!

Hello richardcunliffe 🙂 Thank you for the input - Its my first "proper" aquascape I am just trying to find my feet but enjoying the ride so far!

Looking great @Spartacus, and text book start up.

As a low tech tank, 5 hours of lighting is a little too low I'd say (I start all mine on 12 hours out of the gate). I'd start stretching it out if I were you, bump it up to 8 hours, and gradually increase it to 12. You can always dial the Vivid down a bit more if necessary to compensate as you have mainly low light plants.

Chilli's are a favourite of mine, and will look great in there - if you are just adding Chilli's and CPD's, you could easy add a shoal of 50+ Chilli's and not even see many in a tank that size. Also, I know they're not on your list, but that sand substrate is begging for some Cory's to go nuzzling around in it. Salt and Pepper Cory's (C Habrosus) are a good choice if you want to keep to similar sizes fish - super cute and stick mainly to the substrate like larger Cory's.

I would go ahead and add your Cherry shrimp straight away, and let them start getting established. CPD's (indeed most fish) will hunt the shrimplets, but given the amount of hiding holes in your rockwork, they should easily outbreed any predation.

Hello and thank you Wookii - I really appreciate you sharing the knowledge and information you have. The internet is a minefield of contradiction and bad advice. That is why I love UKAPS its full of such friendly knowledgeable people - Thank you! I have upped the duration to 8 hours and kept it at 30% intensity unsure if I need to up the intensity yet? Treading carefully as I know its a strong light (probably overkill for my setup but I liked the look of the setup!) I will drive for about 5 hours on Saturday to pick up a skeleton crew of Amano shrimp / Clithon snails and Bloody Mary shrimp. I don't want to get to many Amano & Snails as concerned about the tank not being seasoned enough to support large numbers as I want the clean up crew to not starve) but am sure I can get around 20 neocardina shrimp to start a colony. Will then slowly introduce CPD's and Chillis + Corys etc in staggered weeks upon my return from a few days down south at the end of October.

Truth be told this has been a welcome distraction from a difficult time at work. I think if I did not have the tank as a project my mental health would have suffered. I have binge watched Youtube when not asleep on the sofa! Its been a long but happy journey. I am glad I did not get a bigger tank! 😀

I am taking a major liking to Bucephelandra plants and will get a few to fill in some small sparse areas, I find buying plants online hit and miss as you never know what you are going to get. Local fish stores are very poor and limited especially for plants but Aquarium Gardens will get a small order in the future 🙂

Thanks again everyone - Its people like you that make this place as amazing as it is! Thank you!! 🙂

 

[Wookii]

unsure if I need to up the intensity yet?

I'd be surprised if you ever need to. Almost all of the plants you have should grow fine with that intensity (H. pinnatifida may struggle, but that'll be more CO2 than light - I've never kept it successfully low tech, but its a weed in high tech) - upping the intensity will at best case induce more growth (which means more trimming and maintenance) or worst case induce algae.

I will drive for about 5 hours on Saturday to pick up a skeleton crew of Amano shrimp / Clithon snails and Bloody Mary shrimp.

That's a long trip! Entirely your choice ofcourse, but personally I wouldn't bother with the Amano's or the Nerites. Ask for a few free Ramshorns if they have them in their tanks, and put the money into more Bloody Mary's to kickstart your population.

I had at least one large female Amano that learnt how to predate on my Chilli's and Pencil fish, and decimated a shoal in short order - I suspect its incredibly rare, but still a risk with such small fish, they're also very lazy, and quickly to learn to wait for fish food rather than graze algae. Nerites are good algae eaters, but can leave eggs everywhere, and also don't always live that long. Conversely both Ramshorns and Neo's will happily breed in your water and increase their numbers naturally to the point where they will obliterate most algae before it even becomes visible to your human eyes!

 

[Spartacus]

Thanks again Wookii 🙂 I shall just keep it at 30 percent its more than enough visually and I am trying to be cautious on creating algae problems. Like I say its probably total overkill for my needs but if in the distant future I ever wanted to go down the CO2 route I like the flexibility.

I shall also take up the advice about going down the Ramshorn & Neocardina route. Its a bit of a drive but after all the time effort and money spent the drive to the best LFS I have been to is worth it. Its the only one that has the stuff I am after that's good quality at a fair price for them and the buyer.

Truth be told I am very excited for the trip on Saturday!

Tank wise I have thrown out a couple of plants that had totally melted (all turned to mush) I know they can take some getting used to the water conditions but will probably hang fire for a while before buying any more epiphytes. I may see what less sensitive plants are available to help keep things ticking over.

My little go at the Duckweed index seems to be OK - Dosing 2ml per day of Tropica premium.

Only other thing of note was seeing Copepods and nematodes on the glass which has a decent amount of biofilm. Nice to see some life in there for the first time in 5 weeks!

Best Wishes,

Murray 🙂

P.S Trying to fit in a stop over to Horizon whilst visiting the in laws 😀

 

[Wookii]

Like I say its probably total overkill for my needs

Not at all, the Vivid is a great light, and gives awesome colour rendition.

I have thrown out a couple of plants that had totally melted (all turned to mush)

Hope they weren't crypts? 😉

 

[Fluxtor]

Looks fantastic and loving the journal. I've just started one myself and hope I can do nearly half as good a jobs as you're doing!

 

[Spartacus]

Not at all, the Vivid is a great light, and gives awesome colour rendition.


Hope they weren't crypts? 😉

Thankfully not crypts only a couple of Anubias and Schismatoglottis prietoi which have gone mushy. I moved a couple of Java Ferns around slightly to tweak the composition and did a 50% water change tonight.

Exciting day ahead tomorrow with a trip to the fish shop - Time will tell what happens I am looking forward to it.

Looks fantastic and loving the journal. I've just started one myself and hope I can do nearly half as good a jobs as you're doing!

Thank you very much indeed Fluxtor I am delighted it has been of some interest. Truth be told I binged on YouTube (MJ Aquascaping / Green Aqua / Gerodie Scaper) for 6 odd months and spent days on UKAPS gathering information.

I kinda used it as a form of escape from a mad world I live in being honest. A lot of the things I have over thought but patience seems to have been a key benefit.

Stay awesome folks 😊

 

[Andy Thurston]

Whoop whoop how long you been a mod
Tank looks great
I remember when you first joined

 

[ianmianmianm]

Have a great "stocking day" as the Rocky Horror cast used to say.

 

[Spartacus]

Hello Andy 😊 Has not been long it’s nice to help out I really like it here. Yeah it was a long time again when I joined them didn’t have a tank. We bought our own place and I have a man cave and here we are it’s nice being back 😆

Thank you Ian 😊 I hope you have a great weekend!

Small update:

Well today I had high hopes but in person stock levels had other ideas I guess. I wanted a clean up crew but the three main shops I visited only had 3/2/0 Bloody Mary shrimp and the Ramshorn snails were nowhere to be seen.

I have placed an order for 20 Bloody Mary shrimp / 20 ramshorns / Dennerle gravel vaccum. Going to place a small order for a back up heater as I only have one so fancy another if this one packs up.

Going to take a 7 mile drive to a small local shop for some odds and ends. Friendly chap with albeit limited range the prices are 1/3rd of what I saw today.

I’m really fussy (think it’s getting worse the older I get - am only in my 40’s lol) I don’t care how much something costs as long as I feel it’s worth it I will gladly pay it. Most shops are stocked with poor quality at the price you can pay Horizon / Awuarium Gardens etc to get the better stuff.

I can see supporting the one man band more often especially if he can source livestock I am happy with 😊

I was looking at protecting shrimps from the filter inlet - Felt so proud managing to put some plastic mesh inside the filter inlet tube. It looked perfect until I switched filter on… thankfully it only moved up a few inches. Needless to say I won’t do that again 🤣

Look after yourselves folks - It’s nice to be here with you 😊

Thanks,

Murray

 

[FrozenShivers]

Hello, Riverside Aquatics is my LFS also! 😀....tank is looking great - I love a good island.

 

[Wookii]

Felt so proud managing to put some plastic mesh inside the filter inlet tube

Depending on the O/D of your inlet tube, these work brilliantly:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07PPNW7QS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

[Spartacus]

Thanks Wookii I will check them out 😊

Small update:

I have placed an order for the below fish collection at the start of November:

30x Celestial Pearl Danios
30x Chilli Rasboras

I’m away for a week at the end of October so figured I may as well wait a bit longer then I will be here for the fish.

I’m my own worse enemy and procrastinate which combined with limited options locally (I have to drive for 5 hours just to get Amano / Otocinclus over the counter!)

I have a small amount of brown algae appearing so have dialled back the light to 4 hours at 20% and haven’t fertilised for two days. Don’t know if I have dialled it back by to much - I’m cautious of this light!

I can’t wait for my clean up crew to arrive hopefully Tuesday for the shrimp and Wednesday for the snails.

But am contemplating going back to Livingston to get some Otos but unsure if the tank will be mature enough to feed them? Especially with a 1 week holiday coming up. I have algae wafers and a friendly neighbour if that helps.

Like I say I over think everything I’m a little bit concerned that my clean up crew is under staffed? I may just go back to Livingston and get those Otos if it’s a wise idea I don’t want to be cruel / careless with this project but indecision gets the better of me.

I have ordered a proper gravel vac as my syphon didn’t have the pulling power. I’m going to get some Corydoras so hopefully that will also keep the gravel “rotated”

Cleaned the outlet and inlet pipes and tubing. I love this hobby - It does stress me out though 🤣

The last tank I hardly thought anything about it - This one I’m over thinking at every step 😊 Guess it’s just important to me that it works out OK and I do not want to warm any living creature under my wings.