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Pause for thought
Part of why I'm keeping this journal is to record lessons I've learned (from failing!). So it's time for a quick summary:
1. Keep plants and (especially) fish small. It makes the tank look MUCH bigger, and your eye gets drawn in.
2. Keep to a small number of species (of plants), and plant in groups - like you would in a 'real' garden.
3. Shrimp and ottos are essential. Have more than you think, and your plants look clean pretty much all the time.
4. Water changes as often as you can.
5. Don't clean the filter too often. Get a special pipe cleaner on a spring brush for the filter tubes. Keep these clean and your flow will be fine.
6. Drop checkers go green for a huge range of bubble-counts. Push the CO2 as high as you can, while keeping the drop checker green (but make sure it doesn't go yellow!).
7. Superglue is fine underwater (once dry).
And the last one:
- You don't have to find the perfect bit of wood. By combining lots of different pieces, you can get just the look you want. In fact, it's more flexible to have more pieces. You just need to weight them down (especially if they're redmoor, as they take a long time to get waterlogged properly (if they ever do)). A good way to do this is either tie a rock to the underside with fishing wire, or superglue a stone to the underneath.
With that in mind, have gone for a complete rescape. Wasn't intentional, just that there were these three great bits of Redmoor in the LFS:
And then one thing led to another...
Part of why I'm keeping this journal is to record lessons I've learned (from failing!). So it's time for a quick summary:
1. Keep plants and (especially) fish small. It makes the tank look MUCH bigger, and your eye gets drawn in.
2. Keep to a small number of species (of plants), and plant in groups - like you would in a 'real' garden.
3. Shrimp and ottos are essential. Have more than you think, and your plants look clean pretty much all the time.
4. Water changes as often as you can.
5. Don't clean the filter too often. Get a special pipe cleaner on a spring brush for the filter tubes. Keep these clean and your flow will be fine.
6. Drop checkers go green for a huge range of bubble-counts. Push the CO2 as high as you can, while keeping the drop checker green (but make sure it doesn't go yellow!).
7. Superglue is fine underwater (once dry).
And the last one:
- You don't have to find the perfect bit of wood. By combining lots of different pieces, you can get just the look you want. In fact, it's more flexible to have more pieces. You just need to weight them down (especially if they're redmoor, as they take a long time to get waterlogged properly (if they ever do)). A good way to do this is either tie a rock to the underside with fishing wire, or superglue a stone to the underneath.
With that in mind, have gone for a complete rescape. Wasn't intentional, just that there were these three great bits of Redmoor in the LFS:
And then one thing led to another...
Rescape (thinking through!)
Thinking behind the rescape:
PLANTS
The glosso and hairgrass are doing well. Lots of runners, and the shrimp are doing a great job on them, keeping algae off it. So is the Pogostemon stellata - growing up well, though not as red as I'd like. The plan is for pogostemon in particular to develop into a big, feature plant. Will keep trimming low so it branches out. There are some fantastic ones in the LFS. Here are a couple of pictures of other people's, which is what I'm aiming for:
The Bolbitis heudielotii never really got going, and it's a drab dark colour anyway, so that's out:
The Cardamine lyrata was growing well, but too straggly for my taste, so that's basically out too:
(Much prefer the pennywort).
And then the LFS had a great Alternanthera reineckii 'Pink' (roseafolia), which is also supposed to be difficult, but can grow out bushy:
I figure I'll see which of the Alternanthera and Pogostemon grow better, and probably just keep one.
HARDSCAPE
The bogwood is just too dark, and 'clumpy', and doesn't lead the eye at the moment. Want something more ethereal - in a tank this size, think it's important to have wispy-ness.
The 'floating' piece on suckers in my current layout is quite fun, but I think is blocking quite a lot of light from the glosso and stuff underneath it, and it's basically to 'heavy'. So am going to go for Redmoor (now I've learned that you can combine several pieces to make the shape you want), and a more traditional layout. This is the tank I'm currently inspired by:
Thinking behind the rescape:
PLANTS
The glosso and hairgrass are doing well. Lots of runners, and the shrimp are doing a great job on them, keeping algae off it. So is the Pogostemon stellata - growing up well, though not as red as I'd like. The plan is for pogostemon in particular to develop into a big, feature plant. Will keep trimming low so it branches out. There are some fantastic ones in the LFS. Here are a couple of pictures of other people's, which is what I'm aiming for:
The Bolbitis heudielotii never really got going, and it's a drab dark colour anyway, so that's out:
The Cardamine lyrata was growing well, but too straggly for my taste, so that's basically out too:
(Much prefer the pennywort).
And then the LFS had a great Alternanthera reineckii 'Pink' (roseafolia), which is also supposed to be difficult, but can grow out bushy:
I figure I'll see which of the Alternanthera and Pogostemon grow better, and probably just keep one.
HARDSCAPE
The bogwood is just too dark, and 'clumpy', and doesn't lead the eye at the moment. Want something more ethereal - in a tank this size, think it's important to have wispy-ness.
The 'floating' piece on suckers in my current layout is quite fun, but I think is blocking quite a lot of light from the glosso and stuff underneath it, and it's basically to 'heavy'. So am going to go for Redmoor (now I've learned that you can combine several pieces to make the shape you want), and a more traditional layout. This is the tank I'm currently inspired by:
Mid-rescape technical issues...
Found the impeller on the Eheim is broken (again). Very irritating.
Trip to the LFS to pick up another one, and have realised that the 'brushings' are missing on the spindle, so fashioned my own from CO2 piping. I'm not paying £15 for two tiny bits of plastic
. Am hoping that's what's caused the impeller to break.
In the spirit of DIY, have also made a nice pipe intake from a 99p piece of 12mm perspex tubing:
Just heated the end with a painstripper gun and pliered it together, then drilled holes. Who needs to pay silly money for an ADA one?
Found the impeller on the Eheim is broken (again). Very irritating.
Trip to the LFS to pick up another one, and have realised that the 'brushings' are missing on the spindle, so fashioned my own from CO2 piping. I'm not paying £15 for two tiny bits of plastic
. Am hoping that's what's caused the impeller to break.In the spirit of DIY, have also made a nice pipe intake from a 99p piece of 12mm perspex tubing:
Just heated the end with a painstripper gun and pliered it together, then drilled holes. Who needs to pay silly money for an ADA one?
Rescape
Right, the actual rescape. This is my last free weekend for a bit and didn't want to have to soak the Redmoor, so have tied rocks to it with fishing line, and in one case superglued a flat rock to the bottom. Seems to work fine.
Here is the tank just prior to rescaping. Note the ugly green plastic 'cap' on the inlet pipe:
Here's the 'interim' stage, with a big rock holding everything down, and some tall grass that I decided against mid-scaping:
Here's the 'finished' article:
Pretty pleased with the transparent intake. (The outflow is bent piece of the same pipe, filled with sand, heated and wrapped around a wine bottle - works great).
The plan going forward is:
1. The Alternanthera on the left will only stay there until the glosso and hairgrass have got a bit more spread, and I'm able to see how well it grows.
2. Then the Alternanthera will move over to the right - or come out - depending on how well the Pogostomon does. I want it to basically grow all through the Redmoor so you can't see that much of it - like the Harry Kwong 'scape above.
3. Planning for a carpet of glosso and hairgrass, and for the pennywort to grow up the sides.
4. The java ferns in the middle will also come out if the Pogostemon / Alternanthera does well enough.
Here's the very basic sketch:
Think the nearest piece of Redmoor also needs to be rotated slightly anticlockwise. Might do when I next trim the plants. Seriously need to get a proper camera
- looks a lot better than this in real life.
What do people think? Is this an improvement?
Right, the actual rescape. This is my last free weekend for a bit and didn't want to have to soak the Redmoor, so have tied rocks to it with fishing line, and in one case superglued a flat rock to the bottom. Seems to work fine.
Here is the tank just prior to rescaping. Note the ugly green plastic 'cap' on the inlet pipe:
Here's the 'interim' stage, with a big rock holding everything down, and some tall grass that I decided against mid-scaping:
Here's the 'finished' article:
Pretty pleased with the transparent intake. (The outflow is bent piece of the same pipe, filled with sand, heated and wrapped around a wine bottle - works great).
The plan going forward is:
1. The Alternanthera on the left will only stay there until the glosso and hairgrass have got a bit more spread, and I'm able to see how well it grows.
2. Then the Alternanthera will move over to the right - or come out - depending on how well the Pogostomon does. I want it to basically grow all through the Redmoor so you can't see that much of it - like the Harry Kwong 'scape above.
3. Planning for a carpet of glosso and hairgrass, and for the pennywort to grow up the sides.
4. The java ferns in the middle will also come out if the Pogostemon / Alternanthera does well enough.
Here's the very basic sketch:
Think the nearest piece of Redmoor also needs to be rotated slightly anticlockwise. Might do when I next trim the plants. Seriously need to get a proper camera
- looks a lot better than this in real life.What do people think? Is this an improvement?
hotweldfire
Member
Re: Mike's see-through tank challenge
It's a lovely piece of redmoor. Makings of a great tank I think. Definitely an improvement.
It's a lovely piece of redmoor. Makings of a great tank I think. Definitely an improvement.
faizal
Member
Re: Mike's see-through tank challenge
Hi Mike,....The tank looks really nice after the re-scape 🙂 I like the new look of your tank.
I wish it turns out as you have planned. Good luck!! 🙂
Hey Mike,...If I may ,....I think US Fissidens moss would look cool tied to those branches y'know,...along with some anubias nana petite ? 😀
Hi Mike,....The tank looks really nice after the re-scape 🙂 I like the new look of your tank.
I wish it turns out as you have planned. Good luck!! 🙂
Hey Mike,...If I may ,....I think US Fissidens moss would look cool tied to those branches y'know,...along with some anubias nana petite ? 😀
Bobtastic
Member
Re: Mike's see-through tank challenge
Looking nice. I'm looking into making myself a DIY inlet to go with my DIY spray bar. How firm/stable/rigid is the drilled end of the inlet pipe?
mikeappleby said:In the spirit of DIY, have also made a nice pipe intake from a 99p piece of 12mm perspex tubing:
Just heated the end with a painstripper gun and pliered it together, then drilled holes. Who needs to pay silly money for an ADA one?
Looking nice. I'm looking into making myself a DIY inlet to go with my DIY spray bar. How firm/stable/rigid is the drilled end of the inlet pipe?
Re: Mike's see-through tank challenge
Hardscaping looks great
and I dont think it needs any further tinkering right now 🙂
You are definitely at the point where you can just watch it grow in and enjoy the process
Well done and keep the pics coming
Hardscaping looks great
and I dont think it needs any further tinkering right now 🙂 You are definitely at the point where you can just watch it grow in and enjoy the process
Well done and keep the pics coming
Re: Mike's see-through tank challenge
Completely agree - but am going to see if I can grow the other stuff first! Have learnt my lesson of trying to do too much too quickly...
Completely rigid: it works great, and you can make two or three out of a 99p metre long section, so you can just replace it when it gets dirty and run the spare through the dishwasher. I made one with smaller holes (for when the cherry shrimp spawn), and one with bigger holes too.
Thanks! Will try my best not to tinker. Though is always hard when you've spotted an improvement. See next post for a video….
faizal said:
Completely agree - but am going to see if I can grow the other stuff first! Have learnt my lesson of trying to do too much too quickly...
Bobtastic said:
Completely rigid: it works great, and you can make two or three out of a 99p metre long section, so you can just replace it when it gets dirty and run the spare through the dishwasher. I made one with smaller holes (for when the cherry shrimp spawn), and one with bigger holes too.
greenjar said:
Thanks! Will try my best not to tinker. Though is always hard when you've spotted an improvement. See next post for a video….
Re: Mike's see-through tank challenge
Have spent the week gradually turning up the CO2, looks like everything's thriving. The shrimp make a massive difference in how clean the tank is. Highly recommend to any new aquascapers to start off with very minimal fish loading and way more shrimp than you thought!
Have spent the week gradually turning up the CO2, looks like everything's thriving. The shrimp make a massive difference in how clean the tank is. Highly recommend to any new aquascapers to start off with very minimal fish loading and way more shrimp than you thought!
Re: Mike's see-through tank challenge
IS THAT WATER NEAR ELECTRIC! SCARY STUFF!
mikeappleby said:So here's what I've done:
1. Got Tropica Nutrition for 7ml dosing each week, with 50% weekly water changes, and leaving the biological media alone as much as possible (!)
2. Changed the substrate for Aqua Soil Amazonia II
3a. A temporary CO2 system of TetraPlant CO2 Optimat Kit - diffused into the water through an upturned Innocent drink bottle, just to get started with
3b. A drop checker (in the post from ebay...) so I know what's going on
3c. A proper pressurised system using a FE with inline diffuser, non-return valve, bubble counter, etc, once the various parts arrive from ebay
4. Lighting replaced with LED Grobeam 500 - seeing if I can replicate George's success with LEDs - I love the shimmer - on for 8 hours on a timer
5. A Hydor inline heater, keeping it at 24C
6. Cleaned about a year's algae from the Eheim 2032 filter pipes, which has increased the flow by a factor of about 10and replaced the green bits with and perspex clear tubes for the filter return from the tank (much cheaper than glass ones). Flow around the tank now looks pretty good.
7. Various bogwood pieces from the fish shop, which I've drilled and mounted with suckers, so I can attach them to the sides of the tank
8. Cut down on the food, and introduced starvation day once a week
9. Got rid of the two worst fish. (The shadow lurking on the far right of the picture below is one of two Hypostomus plecostomus. I have now realised they were responsible for most of the floating plants, and so they've gone back to the shop, for a tidy profit).
All the pipes are hidden through the ceiling above, into the cupboard under the stairs, which now looks like this:
The girlfriend thinks I'm mad. The immediate result probably doesn't help that: 😳
Just hoping fish survive the dramatic changes... Is there anything obvious I've missed?
IS THAT WATER NEAR ELECTRIC! SCARY STUFF!
Photos
Yup, it's moved a bit further away now... and doesn't look as bad as in the photo - think there's some foreshortening going on. But am very careful indeed with water changes
.
Quick growth update photos (from phone, so not great quality):
Alternanthera is reddening up well, and growing thick:
Shrimps are doing a good job in helping the glosso grow, though it's not spreading as quick as I'd like. Might need a bit of prompting (i.e. trimming):
Hairgrass sending out runners:
Full tank shot shows the Pogostemon is growing too, though not reddening:
One otto down today. Might be because the CO2 levels are getting pretty high. Might leave it how it is for the moment! Will sort out precise Redmoor positioning when it's saturated enough for me to remove the stones - another few weeks I think. It's a bit too even at the moment.
chilled84 said:
Yup, it's moved a bit further away now... and doesn't look as bad as in the photo - think there's some foreshortening going on. But am very careful indeed with water changes
.Quick growth update photos (from phone, so not great quality):
Alternanthera is reddening up well, and growing thick:
Shrimps are doing a good job in helping the glosso grow, though it's not spreading as quick as I'd like. Might need a bit of prompting (i.e. trimming):
Hairgrass sending out runners:
Full tank shot shows the Pogostemon is growing too, though not reddening:
One otto down today. Might be because the CO2 levels are getting pretty high. Might leave it how it is for the moment! Will sort out precise Redmoor positioning when it's saturated enough for me to remove the stones - another few weeks I think. It's a bit too even at the moment.
Ian Holdich
Member
Re: Mike's see-through tank challenge
this is looking good! Great vid and soundtrack.
this is looking good! Great vid and soundtrack.
Limnophila Aromatica
Realised yesterday that my inline diffuser was the wrong way up, and lying on it's side. This seemed to seriously affect the CO2 distribution. So have sorted that out. Also managed to get hold of some Limnophila aromatica cuttings from the LFS, where it's growing in a few of their tanks, and they'd taken some trimmings. Haven't seen it available anywhere, and have been wanting some for ages. Is an amazing plant, and apparently easy to grow:
Mine doesn't look quite that good (yet!) But pleased with the way it's pearling already.
The plan is to have this spread out in the middle of the redmoor roots, becoming the focal point of the tank.
While I was at the shop, also got hold of some HC, just to try one more time
, now that I've got proper CO2 and shrimps and ottos. We'll see if I can make this grow. It started pearling as soon as I put it in, but seems to have stopped this morning.
On the plus side, everything is pretty healthy, and the glosso has started to grow laterally.
Fingers crossed, but feel like I'm getting the hang of this a bit now...
Realised yesterday that my inline diffuser was the wrong way up, and lying on it's side. This seemed to seriously affect the CO2 distribution. So have sorted that out. Also managed to get hold of some Limnophila aromatica cuttings from the LFS, where it's growing in a few of their tanks, and they'd taken some trimmings. Haven't seen it available anywhere, and have been wanting some for ages. Is an amazing plant, and apparently easy to grow:
Mine doesn't look quite that good (yet!) But pleased with the way it's pearling already.
The plan is to have this spread out in the middle of the redmoor roots, becoming the focal point of the tank.
While I was at the shop, also got hold of some HC, just to try one more time
, now that I've got proper CO2 and shrimps and ottos. We'll see if I can make this grow. It started pearling as soon as I put it in, but seems to have stopped this morning.On the plus side, everything is pretty healthy, and the glosso has started to grow laterally.
Fingers crossed, but feel like I'm getting the hang of this a bit now...
