ah, that just didn't "cross the ocean" right, it was a compliment, not a comment on shortness or anything!

Usually, the shorter statements like that coming from you and the other people here with lots of experience are really valuable and very much appreciated by us newbies. One of the reasons I have so much verbiage with my comments is that I'm still so new to this new generation of fishkeeping know-how. I can't pull from direct experience with it - my stuff is obviously pulled from a mixture of "way back" old stuff and just lots of current reading and new curiosity.

Neat that ian does planted - does give you direct experience to draw from! Hope tomorrow finds you better!

~~waterdrop~~

lol ok,

just cos i'm tired and grumpy probably, tend to take things the wrong way when i'm like this...... hey i'm a woman, it's my perogative! lol

Yeah we've a good mix of fishkeeping skills tbh. I know quite a lot about the basics in a wide range of fields, i can ID a lot of fish and tell you something useful about them, I know the basics of water chemistry, bits about various diseases all the basic fish husbandry stuff. Then anything that's a bit sciency or technical and I can't get my head around Ian will understand and can generally explain to me so that I understand it.

I do the fish selection and a lot of the day to day care. Ian does the setting up of stuff, tinkering with gadgets and making the tanks pretty basically.

but thankyou anyway, i'll be a lot better for a good nights sleep. just been a v long week, been flying round the country with work, doing 16 hr days when you're under the weather is not a good idea really, but needs must sometimes.

back on topic, as i understand it with plants and Co2 and that side of things you have 2 main options

low tech - give the plants low light, low Co2 and low nutrients, choose plants that can cope with that and you will get slow growth but a low maintenance set up that eventually matures into something really nice

high tech - give the plants more light, co2 and nutrients than they can use, they will outcompete the algae and grow really quickly, requires a lot of maintenance and work but you get quick growth and lovely results if you hit the balance just right.

if you go for anything in between e.g. high lights but low Co2 and nutrients, then the plant growth will be inhibited by the lack of Co2 and nutrients, but the harider algae's will be able to grow and will then take over.

so youy either balance things at a high or low level, or just deal with it that you'll get some algae!!

Yeah, I'm trying to figure out what would be a good second light unit to add behind the one low-watt T8 that came with the tank. I want to take the light level up but not cross over into the high lighting territory. Like everything else, its tuff when you start casting about in the real world of products. Its all a lot worse since the aquarium world got stuck talking about watts and then the world of lighting went off and changed efficiencies and threw all the recommendations into a mess. Too bad it couldn't have been lumens or some real light measure that was talked about all along! I'm going to have to have a go at it (am I sounding right there, ha!) over in planted, just need to make myself do it.

(hey, you could have at least photoshopped in some red on the hair..)

Day 13 (Friday 25th April)

Tested Ammonia at 8.20am
Ammonia: 2.00ppm
NitrIte: Did not test
PH: Did not test

Tested Ammonia at 6.00pm
Ammonia: 2.00ppm but a shade between 1 and 2ppm
NitrIte: 0.25ppm
PH: 7.2

Here are some of the new pics I mentioned earlier. Tomorrow I may go and buy some more low light easy to look after plants off the list in the planted section to fill up the left side of the tank a little! Opinions (either way) appreciated!

O,excellent! Some really nice changes! The top picture makes it easy to see the whole layout. You've particularly improved the rock layout. By moving the big dark one to the right, you've exposed the lighter horizontal ones behind it. Then you have the small very light colored one especially well placed and tilted in the foreground.

The natural layering of different plants on the left side is especially good, working from small back and up to larger. The 3 largest plants though, to my eye, are ending up matched in total height, which again seems to create a symetrical effect that by being too balanced, seems unnatural. Also, the handsome dark green plant emerging from the top of the dark rock attracts the eye in a strong way, thus competing with the lovely build-up of layers on the left side.

What would be interesting to see you try would be something like moving the big dark rock to the left and letting the small layers, including the red be forground in front of the dark rock, letting parts of the dark rock come out here and there. Then the layering could build up and peak with the top plant, making it seem part of the climb, rather than suddenly jutting out.

(don't know why I'm getting in to this so much! just my opinions anyway..)

Oh well, more later maybe! Know you are having fun, you have such nice stuff to work with! ~~waterdrop~~

Thanks for all the input. The dark rock is actually a substantial piece of bog wood with some natural holes running right through it althought youy can see them as the run from the top to the back of the peice. The plant on the Bog wood is Java Fern attached with cotton until it takes hold. As for the 3 plants being the same height I see what you mean but they are all growing. The Vallisneria Gigantea (tall plant on the left) has already grown around 2 inches in the last week or so, I need to sort out my filter return though as its going directly towards the Vallisneria Gigantea and they dont seeem to like fast water.

lol

haven't got photoshop, my hairs not all that red at the moment anyway sadly. need to get to the hairdressers but i've not had a chance. hopefully booking in for Thursday night though.

Miss Poppins has my natural hair colour!

Sorry for not noticing in the pic it was bogwood. I was extremely rushed yesterday.

One landscaping principle that is working well for you so far is that of "using odd numbers." Its an old landscaper's tip that I've read. Say you have a stretch of house and are going to edge with small bushes - along that stretch you would not want to put an even number of the same bush, or similar height/shape bushes - the tip says you should always us an odd number as even numbers will be interpreted by the eye as a "line" and any straight line will be less interesting in a landscape you are attempting to make more natural.

well im on day 15 and my ammonia is converting in under 12 hours and nitrite is off the scale... quicker than my last cycle i think so im pleased so far

Nice, nicnak. Looks like you clearly moved to stage 2 pretty fast.

Day 14 (Saturday 26th April)

Tested Ammonia at 10.20am
Ammonia: 1.00ppm
NitrIte: 0.50ppm
PH: Did not test

I raised Ammonia back to 4.00ppm

Tested Ammonia at 6.00pm
Ammonia: 2.00ppm - its starting to move within 1 day now!
NitrIte: 0.50ppm
PH: 7.2

This post has been edited by stormy78: Apr 28 2008, 06:27 PM

moving down within the day -- really good sign stormy - glad its progressing for you!

~~waterdrop~~

Today I also added some Green Cabomba, Java Moss and another plants whos name escapes me at present! The Vallisneria Gigantea seems to be growing well (another inch or so in the last 24 hours) and the Egeria densa is also growing well with minimal spacing between each new part of the plant.



Cheers! Fingers crossed it keeps progressing.

It will be interesting to see how you get on with the Cabomba, I had loads of it in my tank and all it did was slowly disintegrate, mainly due to the fishes nibbling at it, some fish just seem to love it.

I will let you know once the fish go in

Day 15 (Sunday 27th April)

Tested Ammonia at 8.20am
Ammonia: 1.00ppm
NitrIte: 0.50ppm
PH: 7.2

I raised Ammonia back to 2.00ppm too see it will process to 0 today.

Tested Ammonia at 7.20pm
Ammonia: 1.00ppm
NitrIte: 0.50ppm
PH: Did not test

This post has been edited by stormy78: Apr 27 2008, 06:29 PM

Todays results are on