Nature Calls...

[Mcbenthy]

Hey all!

Finally gotten around to sorting out the mess of a tank I have watched with dismay for too long now.

As of Monday morning, it is a changed tank! New lights, plants, hardscape...

Pics to follow later today

EDIT: from other post

Finally, the stats: (will edit this into my first post me thinks)

Tank: 20g, 2'x1'x1' (ish)
Filter: Currently a APS 2000EF+ - being downgraded asap to the e700 CristalProfi that was delivered to my mums house (grrrrrr)
Lighting: 2 x 24W T5HO
CO2: none currently, may re-consider in time
Ferts: Low-tech 'EI' dosing style (dosing 1x week instead of every day with a large change every week) - New to me, so this will be interesting!
Stocking: (Needs Serious work, I am aware! 250L is sat downstairs waiting for some of these fish)
- 4 x Rummynose Tetra (was 5 but 1 died)
- 5 x Harlequinn Rasboras
- 4 x Otos
- 4 x Peppered Cories (again, was 5 but 1 died)
- 1 x African Glass Catfish (was 6, but I returned them, he refused to go and has stayed, now can't part with him! )
- Endlers! - Currently easily over 20 fish. Will be removing on an almost daily basis until the numbers drop!
- Some Red Cherry shrimp

 

[Mcbenthy]

Okay... Pics!

So, this is what I have been contending with for much too long:

Now.. that tank is pretty abysmal. The lighting is too low which has resulted in plants that are cr**py, not to mention the complete lack of a direction or scape. In fact, the withered plants are swords, with Java ferns (actually thriving!) on the wood, and some java moss next to it that has been completely over-run by hair algae!

So, firstly, new lights are needed...

Okay... much better, gone from a single 2ft T8 to 2 x 24W T5HO, and wow, isn't it noticeable!

Next task, remove the old scape and salvage what I can.

Okay, so that is the plants and wood out of the tank. The wood is a write off, too much hair algae and I cba to spend forever cleaning that, just bin it, doesn't fit in with my future plans anyway, and a new piece is only £4.

Here's what I figure I can save and re-use (the java fern I have split up to be re-attached to a new scape)

Not a poor amount of plants, but all looking fairly grim - I end up binning a lot of this. In light of the total lack of plant volume I placed an order with TGM for 2 x bunches of water wisteria and 1 x Hygrophilia Corymbosa 'compact' - they also recommended I get some hair grass, so 3 x bunches of that as well arrived. This volume of plants I hope will be enough, and the corymbosa proves to be a nice focal point.

Now time to position the new wood - it's 3 pieces I got for £12, which isn't that bad. took me ~ 1 hour to get it how I liked, even though I through the 3 pieces together in the shop and it was perfect, lesson: always take a photo of the shape you want to use!!!

And full tank:

Bare, but I like the lines of the wood, creates a nice pocket effect for me to work with.

I was meant to be getting some Apistogramma Cacatoides for this build, but unfortunately I cannot get them currently

However, my LFS has some b-e-a-utiful bolivian rams in that I hope to be picking up a pair of at the weekend (when I have thinned the Endler numbers down!) As such, I wanted a slate cave:

I know it's note as good as it should be, but I like the positioning and can always move it if/when the dwarfs don't like it.

That makes for the complete hardscape and I'm pretty chuffed with it.

Next up - Plants!

 

[Mcbenthy]

Plants Plants Plants!!!

Unfortunately I was left alone whilst I planted, and I got carried away, so I only have the finished article to show

One little story though, is that I now completely despise tieing java fern onto driftwood, because I'm all thumbs and it's a turd

so, the final scape, planted and all!

oh dear.. was there really that much algae?!

much better

So, on the left I have:

Java fern tied onto the wood, hoping this will spread as well as it did last time. Some of the really damaged old swords (great roots though, so fingers crossed!), and some plants from my LFS that they were going to bin, so I got 12 stems for £1 - already showing new growth today, but that update will wait a bit

Centre you can see the corymbosa compact:

Just beginning to spread now a few days in, really excited about this plant! Also in the background you can make out the wisteria.

A better photo to show the plants around the wood:

Reall quite happy with this side, hoping the ferns will slowly cover the wood, the corymbosa will fan out and the swords wort (i think they are worts) and the wisteria grow up and add some real security to the corner.

Then we have the right hand side:

The hairgrass is all in the corner, hiding the filter inlet and adding some security to the 'cave' - not so sure about this section, but I will see how the hairgrass does before I start trimming it down.

The centre back to show the wisterial trailing off and some of the old swords re-planted:

Finally, we all love a happy fish!

 

[Mcbenthy]

Now - to the future!

Looking ahead this re-scape has raised a lot of issues.

1st - Algae! - oh god the algae! I'm going to be 'investing' in a credit card or similar to give it a proper clean scrape, but I have done the best I can for now...

2nd - SNAILS!!! - I never realised how many were in there until I disturbed the substrate! the tank is crawling with them! I am going to be buying some assassin snails and MASSIVELY cutting back on feedings for now.

3rd - Endlers; so so many endlers! These are finding their way to my LFS every week now. I have a nice deal where I get credit for them, so I should be thinning their numbers fairly rapidly now back down to the 2m 4f I want. It has amazed me how many were hidden behind the plants previously!

Good points, however:

My rummynose have never been so chilled! they were very skittish before, always hidden away, rarely looking happy (red nose and stripped tails) - now that they have loads of places to hide, they are always out, looking lovely! My cories were never shy or similar to the rummynose before, but now they love swimming all over the water column, with the bottom not being where they spend all their time anymore! This tank has really come to life now.

Where now:
I will keep updating this thread fairly often, especially as the plants settle in, some die, some thrive, some get binned, new ones get suggested (already considering crypts instead of the hairgrass...). I hope as the tank matures I can remove the floating plants as I'm not a massive fan, but they may stay if their roots get longer and appease me

As stated, I'd love to put a dwarf cichlid pair in here with Apisto's and bolivian's being considered. Went to my LFS earlier, but they were closed, so no reserving a pair now, *fingers crossed for the weekend*.

Finally, the stats: (will edit this into my first post me thinks)

Tank: 20g, 2'x1'x1' (ish)
Filter: Currently a APS 2000EF+ - being downgraded asap to the e700 CristalProfi that was delivered to my mums house (grrrrrr)
Lighting: 2 x 24W T5HO
CO2: none currently, may re-consider in time
Ferts: Low-tech 'EI' dosing style (dosing 1x week instead of every day with a large change every week) - New to me, so this will be interesting!
Stocking: (Needs Serious work, I am aware! 250L is sat downstairs waiting for some of these fish)
- 4 x Rummynose Tetra (was 5 but 1 died)
- 5 x Harlequinn Rasboras
- 4 x Otos
- 4 x Peppered Cories (again, was 5 but 1 died)
- 1 x African Glass Catfish (was 6, but I returned them, he refused to go and has stayed, now can't part with him! )
- Endlers! - Currently easily over 20 fish. Will be removing on an almost daily basis until the numbers drop!
- Some Red Cherry shrimp

 

[paulc]

Really really nice work - love it !

When I had a snail problem I lured them using a slice of cucumber

What substrate do you have there by the way?

 

[Mcbenthy]

Really really nice work - love it !

When I had a snail problem I lured them using a slice of cucumber

What substrate do you have there by the way?

Thank you, I'm pretty chuffed with it tbh, just need to sort the few issues I have, but they are all doable!

I'm considering do that with the snails, but I'm just as happy to have some snails and some assassins, the snails and shirmp do a good job of freeing up nutrients from waste and keeping the cycle turning.

The substrate is just a random aquarium gravel I got from my LFS, I think it's ace, it's not sand, it's a gravel, but the cories love it and it hasn't done any damage to their whiskers in over a year of ownership!

 

[Biulu]

It looks very good! You have massive light there though and I think it might be a major source of algae. How many hours do you have the light on? Have you started dosing already?

 

[Mcbenthy]

It looks very good! You have massive light there though and I think it might be a major source of algae. How many hours do you have the light on? Have you started dosing already?

Hi!

There does seem a lot of light, but it is actually just above the 2 wpg (about 2.4), and as I have no reflector, just a wooden box with gaps, a fair amount of light makes it out; add into that the shoddy condensation tray I have and I'd expect just below 2 wpg to make it into the water column.

Photoperiod is 11am to 11pm with a 2 hour shut down in the middle. I am toying with adding another hour off in the morn, and an hour in the evening.

Ferts are already dosed from a bottle, but now onto dry salts. There is already fresh growth on some plants, the wisteria is looking fab and the corymbosa is spreading out. I am gettinga bottle of excel in case of algae, but the floating plants I have are usually very capable of sucking up the nutrients whilst the others get settled.

 

[Jay1983]

wow snails!!! lol great start though looks really nice.

Jay

 

[ian]

Looking very natural and healthy.

I have to agree with Lu on the lighting though and siesta period won't do a great deal TBH McBenthy, have a read here

http/www.barrreport.com/showthread.php/4730-Split-Photo-Period-quot-Siesta-quot-Pros-Cons


Personally, i'd start dosing the excel ASAP.

 

[Biulu]

Waterchanges several times a week and lower light period in the beginning will help you combat your algae until your tank is established.

 

[Mcbenthy]

wow snails!!! lol great start though looks really nice.

Jay

I know!!! Ordering 10 assassin snails now

Looking very natural and healthy.

I have to agree with Lu on the lighting though and siesta period won't do a great deal TBH McBenthy, have a read here

http/www.barrreport.com/showthread.php/4730-Split-Photo-Period-quot-Siesta-quot-Pros-Cons


Personally, i'd start dosing the excel ASAP.

Waterchanges several times a week and lower light period in the beginning will help you combat your algae until your tank is established.

The excel is en route, but in the mean time what do you think I should lower the photo period down to??

Ultimately, I don;t want to use the excel as a regular thing, will there be any 'withdrawal' symptoms?

 

[Mcbenthy]

Looking very natural and healthy.

I have to agree with Lu on the lighting though and siesta period won't do a great deal TBH McBenthy, have a read here

http/www.barrreport.com/showthread.php/4730-Split-Photo-Period-quot-Siesta-quot-Pros-Cons


Personally, i'd start dosing the excel ASAP.

Interesting about the siesta... I think I might up the siesta period for the time being...

EDIT: L2R douche-bag Ben! Just seen Tom Barr's response lol

 

[ian]

Best practice is to start at 6 hours and build up from there. With the tubes being HO, they are quite powerful, if they were NO then it may be a little different. Withdrawing the Excel may result in BBA growth and other unwanted algaes. You could just lower the photo period and see how you get on with monitoring, but i know i prefer not to get the algae in the first place rather than having to deal with it.

just remember regarding that link that soil substrates are eminent.

 

[Mcbenthy]

Best practice is to start at 6 hours and build up from there. With the tubes being HO, they are quite powerful, if they were NO then it may be a little different. Withdrawing the Excel may result in BBA growth and other unwanted algaes. You could just lower the photo period and see how you get on with monitoring, but i know i prefer not to get the algae in the first place rather than having to deal with it.

just remember regarding that link that soil substrates are eminent.

Okay, so I have set the photo-period to 7 hours, and added my first dose of EI salts.

Addition is;
0.158 g chelated trace / week
0.775 g KNO3 / week
0.300 g KH2PO4 / week
1.850 g MgSO4 / week

I will be changing this as and when. going to increase it ~ 3-4 times when I start dosing excel, as per suggestions on the UKAPS article and from Tom Barr's posts on the subjects.

Going to get photos later when the gf comes back and shows me where she hid the memory card /facepalm