Gardeners World - Update Pg 5

[JamieH]

Ok Guys... (and gals)... Here's my new tank journal. I'm at the planning stage here, but these are my thoughts. I'm going on a mad shopping spree this week online so can hopefully make major progress with the tank at the weekend.

I've been massively inspired some of the tanks here - notably Jimboo's Jungle Journal and i was amazed by the relatively low tech tanks on show HERE - just look at those tanks! My god!

In particular it's nice to see that you can get great looking tanks without spending the earth.

I've also been reading the works of Diana Walstead with great interest - the Tom Barr of the low tech planted world if you will.

Having read a massive amount since the weekend, here's my plan:

The Set Up

- 240litre tank
- moderately sized canister filter - no high turnover, plenty of bio media. Likely a fluval 205.
- Diy C02 with homemade 300lph powered reactor
- Substrate... laterite mixed with humic matter - i've read several journals tonight which say that without some humic matter, and a certain level of anaerobic activity the minerals in laterite remain locked away. So I'll be adding a couple of litres of sterilized soil / pond soil to my base layer (see the work of Diana Walstead)
- the top layer of substrate will not be over-thick to allow roots maximum access to the base layer.
- lighting will be 4 x 38w T8 triplus with reflectors


Plants will mostly by gross root feeders - crypts, swords, etc
Fish Stocks - neons, few livebarers, bolivian rams, otto's, bristlenose.

I'll be using a part EI system, my tap water is quite high in N and P due to norfolk being so rubbish.. err. sorry, I mean agricultural... so i'll be dosing with trace elements often and NP based on tests.

Anyway, i'll leave you with shots of some set up's which follow the same system outlined above

Your thoughts about my plans will be greatly appreciated

Oh... and welcome to my new journal!

 

[wei0204]

Wow! Such nice pics... I hope can see your project started soon.

 

[sophos9]

Watching this with interest! I'm buying a Juwel Vision 180 soon and want to create a tank exactly inline with what you are doing

Can you please post up with how things are going and what types of plants you have added?

 

[JamieH]

Wow! Such nice pics... I hope can see your project started soon.

Hopefully this weekend - assuming everything i'm ordering arrives by saturday

Watching this with interest! I'm buying a Juwel Vision 180 soon and want to create a tank exactly inline with what you are doing

Can you please post up with how things are going and what types of plants you have added?

I intend to do an epic set up post with everything shown in detail.... look out for it next week.



has anyone else got any comments on the viability of this set up??? anything you'd change?

 

[AndyTaylor]

I'll be watching with interest, Jamie. I think i'll be stripping my tank soon and following this path. I just don't have time for a high Tech EI tank anymore (not that I could ever get it to work for me anyway!).
Pond soil under gravel with maybe some of the Tropica Aquacare clay looks like a worthwhile experiment. My current substrate is gone badly anaerobic thanks to my mistake of adding sand so it's got to go. Keep us updated....

Andy

 

[Themuleous]

You've certainly set your targets high! Those thanks are superb, if you can replicate something similar it'll be a stunning tank

Sam

 

[George Farmer]

Nice scapes. Where are they from?

has anyone else got any comments on the viability of this set up??? anything you'd change?

All 4 x Triplus will give you a purple-bias colour rendition. Unless you like purple, consider balancing with more green using Daylight Plus or Arcadia Freshwater T8s.

Watch out for metal toxicity with laterite and soil (see Walstad's book).

DIY CO2 as in yeast-based?

BTW Tom has done lots of work on non-CO2, soil-based, minimal water change methods too. His results are better than Diana's IMHO.

 

[JamieH]

started to prepare the tank today...

some pics of the back breaking bit:

Draining the tank-----

My biggest ever fishkeeping tip... when draining the last bit from a tank, use a bit of airline held down with a rock to get right down to the last bit-----

The hardwork over-----

The rock formation for the new tank-----

A crinum that i'm hoping can survive in a vase for the next few days-----

so... now just the wait for the new gear to arrive


also... i'm really interested in this semi-debate about using laterite alongside other organics in the substrate: Below is one of the sources that says organic matter helps laterite to work.

from: http/www.aquabotanic.com/latr.htm


I believe the German company Dupla was the first to market laterite for the aquarium. Since it is found in the same tropical regions as the plants we use come from, and laterite run off is found in the waters of the tropics, it seems a logical conclusion that laterite is part of tropical plants natural element. The high concentration of iron provides an unlimited source of the mineral for the plants, it is however void of any other minerals and contains no organic material as a source of nitrogen. The oxidized iron (Fe3) can be turned into Fe2, (the form of iron most easily used by plants) by organic acids in the aquarium. This happens naturally as the aquarium ages, but can be sped up by adding a small amount of peat to the laterite. It is also believed that the soft texture of the lateric soil is conducive to plant root hairs and may be able to absorb other nutrients from the water.

To use laterite, you mix a small amount with gravel or course sand and add peat if desired, to the bottom layer of the substrate and then cover it with at least two inches of a top layer of gravel or sand. Using laterite instead of a clay gravel enables you to use any type of decorative gravel you choose. It also does not affect the pH or add silica to the water. Many people have sworn that they get tremendous growth with plants such as Echinodorus and Cryptocorynes. It was the use of laterite that prompted the introduction of clay gravels such as Seachem's Flourite, Eco Complete, and others. The premise of using either clay or laterite is that plants need a source of iron in the substrate.


Anyone got any thoughts?

 

[JamieH]

Does no one have anything to say on the subject of laterite and soil?

 

[cleekdaFish]

nice rocks....keep on brings them updates

 

[wei0204]

cant wait to see more...

 

[George Farmer]

Does no one have anything to say on the subject of laterite and soil?

I've no personal experience of mixing the two, only using both individually in seperate set ups. Both worked well, with crypts and swords.

I note you've posted on APC, so you my get more experienced advice there. Try posting in the "substrate" sub-forum specifically.

 

[AndyTaylor]

Does no one have anything to say on the subject of laterite and soil?

When you say 'soil' , Jamie, are you taking about garden soil, as dug up from your back garden, for example? What do you propose to use?

Andy

 

[Themuleous]

Nice rock formation

Sam

 

[JamieH]

Does no one have anything to say on the subject of laterite and soil?

I've no personal experience of mixing the two, only using both individually in seperate set ups. Both worked well, with crypts and swords.

I note you've posted on APC, so you my get more experienced advice there. Try posting in the "substrate" sub-forum specifically.

I've actually decided to add a tub of tetra complete, which should have enough humic material to get the system going. the rest will be provided by my fish at a later date.

Does no one have anything to say on the subject of laterite and soil?

When you say 'soil' , Jamie, are you taking about garden soil, as dug up from your back garden, for example? What do you propose to use?

Andy

Soil as i understand it means a very mature clay-containing loam... garden topsoil would be fine and seems to be what diana walstead reccomends. Things to avoid are those will too much 'fresh' organic matter which will rot too quickly and starve the susbrate of oxygen.





Anyway, i did my shopping today:


4 Juwel Reflector 38w

Hagen Glomat Double Starter Unit 40w
2 Interpet Daylight Plus 42 inch 38w (I took georges advice)
2 Arcadia Plastic Spring Clips T8
1 Arcadia Nylon Plastic Fasteners 4mm
Hagen Fluval 205 External Filter
Hagen Ribbed Hose Fluval 104/204

Rena Renacor Heat Cable 25w

2 Eheim Compact Pump 300 (1 to power my c02 reactor, 1 on a reverse photoperiod to aerate the tank at night)

TetraPlant Complete Substrate 2.8kg

Also got a large box of laterite and 2 packs of JBL Floropol on the way from Aquaessentials.


all should arrive by saturday.... can't wait!!!